FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of medical neutrality in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: We have seen no information suggesting a lack of neutrality in medical staff in Bahrain, in 2011 a group of medical staff were convicted of crimes relating to the unrest in February and March of that year. At the time, I expressed my concern, and that of the British Government, at the disproportionate nature of the sentences following only the briefest of hearings.
	I understand the medical staff appealed the sentence, resulting in some convictions being overturned. Others are still going through the appeal process, which is due to end in October this year. All medical staff are currently out on bail.
	We have urged the Bahraini Government to ensure the appeal processes are conducted with urgency and that due legal process is followed.

British Nationals Abroad

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the arrests and detentions of Britons abroad between April 2011 and March 2012 were for (a) rape and (b) sexual abuse of minors under the age of 18.

Mark Simmonds: During the period April 2011 and March 2012, 66 cases of Britons arrested on accusations of child sex offences were opened on Compass, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consular assistance database. We do not hold information on Compass on the number of Britons arrested specifically for rape.

British Nationals Abroad

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department assesses all appropriate safeguards for UK nationals in (a) Nepal and (b) other areas where concerns over missing tourists have been raised.

Hugo Swire: The safety of British nationals abroad is of paramount importance to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My hon. Friends will be aware from the written reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wirral West (Esther McVey) of 8 August from the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), that one of the primary means we use to assist British nationals when they travel overseas to Nepal, or elsewhere in the world, is through our travel advice. This advice is based on information received from our diplomatic missions, local knowledge and contacts. The aim is to help British nationals make informed decisions about travel to a particular country. Our travel advice is regularly reviewed and will be updated in light of any incident or incidents that might affect British nationals travelling or living in the area. In general, we would only advise against all or all but essential travel to a country if we consider the risk of travel to be unacceptably high, and this will be reflected appropriately in our travel advice. The safety of British nationals when overseas, including Nepal—where most visits are trouble-free—is the responsibility of the authorities in the country concerned, in the same way that the safety of visitors to the UK is similarly the responsibility of the appropriate authorities here.

British Nationals Abroad: Prisoners

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are serving custodial sentences in prisons in other EU member states; and how many British prisoners have been involuntarily repatriated to the UK since the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework came into force.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes a snapshot twice a year of the number of British nationals in detention overseas. At 30 March 2012 the FCO was aware of 765 British nationals detained in EU member states. This includes those currently serving custodial sentences and those pre-trial. To date, no prisoners have been involuntarily repatriated to the UK since the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework came into force.

Burma

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma on the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The UK remains deeply concerned over reported human rights abuses in ethnic border areas, particularly in Kachin and Shan states, as a result of fighting between the Burmese army and armed militia, and the recent inter-communal violence between the largely Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine communities.
	We remain one of the most active and vocal members of the international community in raising these concerns with the Burmese authorities and continue to condemn all instances where individuals face persecution or discrimination because of their faith or beliefs, wherever they happen and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.
	We have repeatedly called for the Burmese Government to put an end to the recent inter-communal violence in Rakhine state, to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the areas affected and a resumption of humanitarian work provided by the international community upon which many hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are dependent, to resolve the issue of nationality and to grant the full respect for human rights to all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
	During his visit to Burma in January of this year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the President, the Foreign Minister and the Speaker of the Lower House. The Prime Minister, during his visit to Burma in April, met with the Burmese President. During these meetings, both the Prime Minister and Secretary of State, respectively, set out clearly the steps which would be needed before a more fundamental shift in our relationship could take place, which included establishing a clear process of reconciliation with Burma's ethnic groups.
	Both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State met a range of representatives from ethnic communities, including the Kachin, Rohingya, Shan, Rakhine, Chin, Mon, Karen and Karenni to hear more about their concerns and aspirations. We continue to stay close to these and other ethnic groups to ensure we remain seized of the issues they face.
	We are cautiously optimistic about the progress the Burmese Government has made since the Secretary of State’s visit in trying to rebuild trust with ethnic groups, including signing initial ceasefire agreements with some groups. We recognise that this process remains fragile and we continue to urge all parties to work towards a peaceful future for all of Burma's people.
	We are actively supporting the reconciliation process. The Prime Minister announced the allocation of an additional £5 million during Aung San Suu Kyi's recent visit to the UK for immediate peace-building activities. Our embassy in Rangoon also hosted a visit of UK experts in July with experience of trust-building and peace-building between communities in Northern Ireland. We intend to continue to draw on UK expertise in this area in order to support the continuation of the reconciliation process.

China

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chinese nationals asked the UK for political asylum in the last year for which figures are available; and how many such applications were (a) accepted and (b) rejected.

Mark Harper: have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
	The Home Office publishes immigration statistics on a quarterly and annual basis. According to the latest published statistics a total of 778(1) Chinese nationals claimed asylum in 2011. Of these 778(1) individuals, 41(1) were granted asylum, 83(1) were granted humanitarian protection (HP) or discretionary leave (DL), and 446(1) were refused asylum, HP or DL at initial decision.
	A copy of the latest statistics can be found in the Library of the House, or on the following website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q2-2012
	(1 )Data taken from Asylum Data Table as.06, Immigration Statistics April June 2012. Data relate to main applicants and initial decisions only.

Climate Change

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to help promote international action to tackle climate change.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) remains committed to climate diplomacy. British ambassadors and high commissioners make the argument for a global low carbon transition in their regular discussions with foreign governments. They are supported by our unique network of climate attachés throughout the world, as well as trade, investment, scientific, educational and economic teams promoting low carbon international co-operation.
	The FCO is now seen internationally as a leader in the international climate effort. This has been recognised by a number of countries, including China, which has shown considerable interest in the idea of a low carbon economy. Indeed, the recent Energy and Climate Change Committee report into FCO work in China particularly commended the work of our climate change and energy team in country.
	The FCO, while not a spending Department for the UK’s £2.9 billion International Climate Finance, plays a consultative role, sitting on the Board and Secretariat to provide a wider political overview. Our posts are heavily involved in identifying possible projects to support, and deliver projects in countries without a Department for International Development office.
	The FCO does, however, administer a Prosperity Fund, the purpose of which is to support policy co-operation between the UK and other countries, particularly the emerging powers. This fund has been instrumental this year in the passing of a climate change Act in Mexico (April 2012); the legislation for an emissions trading scheme in South Korea (May 2012); and the development of a Chinese version of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s 2050 Energy Pathways Calculator, which is being launched in Beijing next week.

Cluster Munitions

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made in encouraging other countries to destroy their cluster munitions.

Alistair Burt: We are greatly encouraged that 111 countries have already joined the convention on cluster munitions (CCM). We continue to promote the universalisation of the CCM at relevant bilateral and multilateral meetings. The convention requires states to destroy their stockpiles of cluster munitions within eight years of the convention coming into force. The UK is leading by example in this area. Over 70% of UK stocks, representing over 27 million sub-munitions, have been destroyed. Under current plans it remains our intention that all UK stocks will be destroyed by the end of 2013—five years ahead of the deadline set by the CCM. The UK has and will continue to share details and lessons learnt from our destruction programme at CCM meetings.

Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of its Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department.

Hugo Swire: The Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department is making a real difference to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) effort to support jobs and growth.
	Since its creation in 2011, the Department has helped to target the UK's economic diplomatic effort in other countries, and used insights and reporting from our overseas posts to help inform UK economic policy making, with the effect that we can better create and maintain an open economic environment globally, in which British business can compete.
	FCO Ministers and officials are working to boost trade by lobbying governments to reduce barriers to trade and to progress multilateral and EU bilateral trade agreements including the EU/Korea Free Trade Agreement.
	The Department has also published the FCO's Charter for Business, and—working closely with the Department for Trade and Investment and businesses—is leading the FCO's delivery of the Charter's commitments which has included the provision of commercial diplomacy training to over 400 staff in London and key posts overseas as well as improvements in the way that we engage with business. Our recent survey found that businesses have experienced a step change in the quality of the FCO's support, although there is scope to improve further.

Cyprus

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Turkey on Cyprus.

David Lidington: The presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus is one of the issues that will need to be resolved as part of a comprehensive settlement. Myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discuss the settlement negotiations with our Turkish counterparts at every suitable opportunity.

Economics Unit

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of its Economics Unit.

Hugo Swire: The Economics Unit conducted an assessment of its business performance in 2011-12 as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) annual review process. In its first year, the Economics Unit was judged to have put economics on the map in the FCO through the quality of its analytical work on a range of issues, including: the outlook for UK exports, the Eurozone, engagement with emerging economies, and the dynamics of economic transition in the middle east. The unit also received consistently strong feedback on its regular global economic briefing products and on providing economics training for FCO staff—in 2011-12, 238 staff completed a core training course. Together, these factors have helped ensure that UK foreign policy has been underpinned by strong economic understanding. The two key challenges identified were to: (1) improve the FCO's human resources model for economists as demand was outstripping supply; and (2) increase the unit's impact in Whitehall.

Foreign Investment in UK

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to promote inward investment to the UK.

Hugo Swire: To encourage investment into the UK, the Government continue to focus on ensuring that the UK offers investors a globally competitive business environment for them to grow their business. This includes: creating the most competitive tax system in the G20 by cutting the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 26% in April 2011 and to 23% by 2014—the lowest rate in the G7 and fifth lowest in the G20, and making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business by focusing on reducing the regulatory burden on business.
	UK Trade and Investment teams located overseas, as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office network, are tasked with identifying overseas owned companies with innovative technologies that have the capacity and capability to invest overseas that would be beneficial to the UK economy. Supporting this overseas network in the UK is a dedicated support service for potential and existing investors—the Inward Investment Services Network. This service, delivered by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), offers ongoing individually tailored support, and a single principal point of contact, for these companies to help embed them in the UK and to then expand their operations here.

Gambia

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had at the UN General Assembly on recent state executions in Gambia;
	(2)  what representations his Department has made in the last two weeks to the Government of Gambia on the resumption of the use of the death penalty.

Mark Simmonds: Since his speech on 19 August when President Jammeh pledged to begin executing death-row prisoners, the UK has made our opposition to the recent and sudden use of the death penalty in The Gambia very clear. Our high commissioner in Banjul has made several representations to the Government of The Gambia, including the Foreign Minister and the Attorney-General, on behalf of both the UK and the European Union, before and after the executions were confirmed. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also made representations to the Gambian high commission in London. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) issued a statement on 25 August expressing concern over the then unconfirmed reports of executions. We will continue to urge the Government of Gambia to prevent further executions.
	We support the concern expressed by Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, about the executions, and will seek opportunities, including within the UN system, to reinforce it. In November, the UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution in favour of a world-wide moratorium on the death penalty, which we are actively supporting.

Human Rights

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to put human rights at the heart of UK foreign policy.

David Lidington: Human rights are essential to and indivisible for the UK's foreign policy priorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) produces an annual human rights report
	www.fco.gov.uk/hrdreport
	which highlights the UK's global human rights achievements and sets out the challenges that remain. It also includes countries where we have the most serious wide ranging concerns on human rights.
	We recently launched an initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations with the aim of strengthening international efforts and co-ordination to prevent and respond to these atrocities and to erode the existing culture of impunity. We are looking to use the opportunity offered during the UK G8 presidency to develop and agree international action. We have recently committed £750,000 to support work worldwide on business and human rights, including a project in Burma to ensure that companies investing there do so with respect for the human rights situation of that country and of those affected by their operations.
	On Syria, we have trained over 60 Syrian activists to document human rights violations and abuses to assist in any future accountability process. We are also supporting initiatives to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. In response to events of the Arab spring, the £110 million Arab Partnership Fund is enabling us to help build more open and accountable societies in the middle east and north Africa, including through empowering women, and promoting greater transparency and the rule of law.

Human Trafficking

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the US Administration's anti-trafficking initiative, launched at the US Consulate-General in Kolkata on 10 June 2012.

Hugo Swire: In line with the UK Government's strategy launched in 2011 aimed at tackling human-trafficking, the UK Government fully supports the US initiative to create a regional hub in Kolkata to support anti-trafficking work in South Asia. Within the South Asia region our overseas missions continue to work with our international partners to tackle human trafficking. As part of our strategy, and in consultation with our international partners, our deputy high commission in Kolkata also runs its own anti-trafficking programmes aimed at tackling this serious issue.

Ramil Safarov

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect on relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan of the release and repatriation of Ramil Safarov from prison in Hungary; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: We welcome the statements of the right hon. Baroness Ashton of Upholland and Commissioner Fule, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs, with regard to the pardon of Ramil Safarov, following his return from Hungary, and share their concern about the impact this may have on prospects for stability and peace in the region. We regret any action that is contrary to ongoing efforts to reduce regional tensions and promote reconciliation.
	Moving forward, it is important that both sides exercise restraint—in actions and public statements—to prevent any escalation of the situation. Together with our EU and OSCE partners, we will continue to follow the situation closely and we stand together with the international community in supporting the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their efforts to reduce tension and find a negotiated way forward to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Lord Howell of Guildford

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether Lord Howell will speak on behalf of his Department in the House of Lords;
	(2)  what the terms of the appointment of Lord Howell as personal adviser to the Foreign Secretary are; whether he will receive any payment; and what access he will have to his Department;
	(3)  whether Lord Howell will have an office in his Department; whether he will receive departmental papers; and what the security level of any such papers will be;
	(4)  whether Lord Howell will travel on behalf of his Department; and how such travel will be funded;
	(5)  whether Lord Howell will be able to take outside employment; and under what conditions any such employment may be taken.

David Lidington: Lord Howell's role is as a personal adviser to the Foreign Secretary and in this capacity he may have sight of relevant departmental paperwork under secure conditions. This is not a salaried position and he will not speak on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). He will have access to the FCO to advise the Foreign Secretary but he will have no office, nor support from civil servants in London and overseas beyond that accorded to other parliamentarians. Lord Howell may, on occasion, undertake trips in this capacity funded by the FCO and organised and co-ordinated by the FCO and our overseas posts. As a former Minister Lord Howell will be subject to the Business Appointments rules as set out in the Ministerial Code.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birkenhead about a constituent, Colin Anditon.

Alistair Burt: I replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 24 August 2012.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 23 July 2012 concerning Mr Bob Cowan.

Alistair Burt: I apologise for the delay in providing a response to the right hon. Member. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have been seeking clarification on some of the issues raised in his letter, in order to provide him with a full and comprehensive response, which will be sent shortly.

Minerals

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to find practical and sustainable solutions to the issue of conflict minerals.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working with the international community to find practical and sustainable solutions to the problem of conflict minerals. The FCO has supported, developed and promoted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas; played an active role in the development of supplementary guidance on gold and other minerals; and funded a feasibility study by the OECD on a mechanism to monitor due diligence. We encourage British companies to adhere to these OECD guidelines. The FCO has also developed an online tool to help British companies who may be trading in minerals sourced from conflict-affected areas of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), or whose products include components that include such minerals.
	The FCO also provides support to the joint DFID and World Bank Promines programme, which aims to increase accountability and transparency in the DRC minerals sector. This will help legitimise the trade in minerals and ensure the proceeds stay out of the hands of armed groups.

Missing Persons

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the location of missing persons arising from armed conflicts within Europe.

David Lidington: At the UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue in July senior officials registered concerns in relation to the North Caucasus, including disappearances of individuals.
	My right hon. Friend Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised human rights and rule of law issues in Russia with Foreign Minister Lavrov when he visited Moscow at the end of May. The Prime Minister raised our concerns with President Putin when they met in Downing Street in August.
	The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been recording the number of missing people in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the August 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia. Our embassies in Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi are in regular contact with the ICRC on their ongoing work.
	The UK supports the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) based in Sarajevo, an organisation which assists Governments in developing the institutional capacity to deal with the issue of missing persons and identifying victims from conflict. The UK has provided consistent financial support to ICMP since 2002 and supports its objective of promoting governmental responsibility for missing persons.
	The UK welcomes the excellent work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus. As a sign of support, the UK has contributed over £100,000. The UK also contributes to its annual budget through the EU.

Nepal

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that his Department continues to proactively liaise with Nepalese authorities investigating the disappearance of Zismos Souflas, a UK national who went missing in Nepal on 24 April 2012.

Hugo Swire: My hon. Friend will be aware from the written reply to her correspondence on behalf of a member of Mr Souflas’s family—the reply was sent by the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) on 8 August— that since learning that Zismos Souflas had gone missing we have been in close contact with the authorities in Nepal. Of equal importance, consular staff in Nepal and London have been, and remain, in contact with his mother. They have been passing on any information obtained through established lines of communication in Nepal, and continue to offer advice. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to offer what consular support and advice we rightly can to Mr Souflas's family, including through regular liaison with the Nepalese authorities.

Overseas Companies

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage British companies to operate responsibly overseas.

David Lidington: The Government urge all British companies to promote the highest standards of corporate governance and social and environmental responsibility, including adherence to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
	In line with the framework set out in the UN Guiding Principles, we expect companies to behave with respect for human rights wherever they operate.
	We have this year committed £750,000 in project funding to support work worldwide on business and human rights. This includes a commitment we have made to fund a project in Burma where the Institute for Human Rights and Business are establishing a resource centre to provide advice to companies, governments and civil society on implementation of the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Pakistan

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement calling for the immediate release of Rimsha Masih from imprisonment in Pakistan.

Alistair Burt: I have been very concerned about Rimsha's case. Following her arrest I spoke to Dr Paul Bhatti, the Pakistani Minister for Interfaith Harmony, to lodge the UK's concerns about the treatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. I am pleased that she has now been granted bail.

Somalia

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from Somalia.

Mark Simmonds: Real progress is being made to end the transition in Somalia: the provisional Constitution was adopted on 1 August by an 825-member National Constituent Assembly; a new Parliament was convened on 20 August; and on 28 August, the new Parliament voted in a new Speaker, Professor Mohamed Osman Jawari. Criteria for presidential candidates have been agreed and parliamentary elections for president will take place on 10 September.
	The transitional period in Somalia will end once Parliament has elected a new president. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said on 17 August, it is vital for Somalia to move towards a more legitimate and representative Government that is accountable to the Somali people. Somalia's political leaders must maintain momentum by quickly identifying priorities for the next phase of Somalia's stabilisation, working to ensure the new Government and institutions are more accountable, transparent and credible in the eyes of Somalis.
	Progress is also being made on security. African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Government-aligned forces continue to improve security in Mogadishu, as well as make gains against the militant Islamist group, Al Shabaab. Most recently, on 28 August, AMISOM forces took the port of Marka.
	The overall food security situation has improved slightly following the Gu (seasonal rains) harvest, although two million people, down from 2.5 million, are still in need. The situation for many remains precarious and malnutrition rates for children under five remain high with some 230,000 severely malnourished children. Access for humanitarian agencies remains a challenge.
	As the Foreign Secretary announced in the House on 4 September, on 3 September, the British Office in Hargeisa formally opened in line with the Foreign Secretary's decision to establish a presence in Mogadishu and Hargeisa as soon as security conditions allowed. Work continues to provide expanded and more permanent office and living accommodation in Mogadishu to allow staff to be posted there on a permanent basis.

South Korea

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the benefit to the UK of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Hugo Swire: It is too early to assess the full impact of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which only provisionally entered into force in July last year. However, a study by Copenhagen Economics for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which leads on EU bilateral and regional trade negotiations, estimated that the long-term benefit to the UK from the FTA is expected to be around £500 million per annum. 10 years after this trade agreement has been fully implemented, it is expected that the cumulative benefit to the UK economy will be around £3.3 billion in current prices.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reasons his Department was given for the arrest of the UK citizen Magdy El-Baghdady in Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: The British embassy in Khartoum was not informed by the Sudanese authorities of Mr El-Baghdady's detention at the time of his arrest or thereafter. Since becoming aware of his case, we have provided Mr El-Baghdady with consular assistance and advice. We have demanded a full investigation of Mr El-Baghdady's treatment during his detention, but have not as yet been provided with any information by the Sudanese authorities. We continue to press for this.
	We have also sought assurances from the Sudanese authorities that they will in future comply with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, according to which we should be notified of the detention of a British national, if he or she requests it, and that the detainee should be informed of this right. It is unacceptable that this did not happen in this case.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the health and political status of Magdy El- Baghdady after his release from prison in Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: Mr El-Baghdady gave consular officials a full account of his treatment while in detention, and the impact on his health. We have remained in contact with Mr El-Baghdady since his return to the UK, but cannot provide information on his health or political status. This is a matter for Mr El-Baghdady.
	We remain deeply concerned over the circumstances surrounding his case, and continue to urge the Sudanese authorities to investigate the matter.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Sudanese asylum seekers who are arrested in the UK are returned to Sudan.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The United Kingdom will provide refuge to those who genuinely need it, in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. The protection needs of individuals are considered on an individual case by case basis. Only when an application for protection has been refused and any statutory appeal right exhausted, would the UK Border Agency consider return.
	The UK Border Agency prefers those who have no legal basis to remain in the United Kingdom to leave voluntarily. Should the individual choose not to leave voluntarily then an enforced return would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Moroccan authorities concerning the reported assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou, President of Sahrawi Women Forum by members of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire in El Aauin, Western Sahara on 28 August 2012.

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Moroccan ambassador reports of interference with the visit of the President of the R. F. Kenney Centre for Justice and Human Rights' El Aauin, Western Sahara on 28 August 2012 and an assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou by members of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire.

Alistair Burt: The Government take seriously all reports of allegations of human rights violations. We are aware of reports of the alleged assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou.
	Officials from the British embassy in Rabat visit Western Sahara on a regular basis to discuss human rights concerns, including with the relevant local authorities. Our ambassador to Morocco also maintains a close dialogue with the Moroccan authorities on human rights issues.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what role she expects 4G/LTE mobile broadband to play in helping the UK to meet its EU broadband 2020 targets; and when spectrum currently used for 2G and 3G services will be made available for 4G use.

Edward Vaizey: It is the view of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, that 4G mobile technologies will play a role in delivering broadband coverage beyond the edge of the fixed infrastructure. It is one of a suite of technologies that will be required to deliver broadband.
	The European Commission's Radio Spectrum Committee (“RSC”) Decision 2009/766/EC (the “3G RSC Decision”), as amended by Decision 2011/251/EC (the “LTE RSC Decision”), requires all EU member states to designate and make available the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum bands for 4G services, such as LTE or WiMax, by 31 December 2011. The UK has implemented both these decisions and there is no legal impediment to the deployment of 4G services in either the 900 MHz, or 1800 MHz bands.
	To date, only the mobile phone operator Everything Everywhere has sought a variation to its license to allow it to deploy 4G services in this spectrum.

Broadband

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to bring high-speed 4G mobile broadband services to the UK; and whether her Department has received any assessments from Ofcom on whether existing spectrum could be used to bring 4G to the UK in 2012.

Edward Vaizey: On 24 July, Ofcom published its statement on the auction of 4G spectrum licences in the 800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands. In addition, on 21 August, Ofcom announced that it had approved an application by the mobile phone operator Everything Everywhere (EE) to use its existing 1800 MHz spectrum to deliver 4G services. In parallel with this decision, Ofcom has now issued varied licences to EE, which authorise LTE services from 11 September 2012. Ofcom has not produced for Government any assessments on whether existing spectrum could be used to bring 4G to the UK in 2012.

Broadband

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if she will estimate the cost of providing 4G coverage to 98 per cent of the population.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has made no estimate of the cost of providing 4G coverage to 98% of the UK population. Such estimates would normally fall within the remit of Ofcom, the independent regulator.

Broadband

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with local councils on the future provision of 4G to tenants in social housing.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no discussions with local authorities, concerning the future provision of 4G services to tenants in social housing.

National Lottery

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if she will make representations to the National Lottery that all Lottery terminals should be redesigned so that the screen displays provide identical information to the operator of the terminal and to the customer.

Hugh Robertson: Requirements relating to national lottery systems and equipment in order to protect players from theft or fraud are a matter for the National Lottery Commission. They advise that redesigning lottery terminals in the way suggested could potentially compromise the rights of winning players who wish to remain anonymous. The National Lottery Commission will continue to monitor developments in maintaining the balance between safeguarding against fraud and protecting the anonymity of winners.

Radio Frequencies

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to the announcement by Ofcom of the rules governing the forthcoming auction of spectrum on the 800 MHz band and 2600 MHz band, when she expects the regulator to announce its decision on the liberalisation of the 1800 MHz band.

Edward Vaizey: On 21 August, Ofcom announced that it had approved an application by the mobile phone operator Everything Everywhere (EE) to use its existing 1800 MHz spectrum to deliver 4G services. In parallel with this decision, Ofcom has now issued varied licences to EE which authorise LTE services from 11 September 2012. This means that EE can launch LTE services using its 1800 MHz spectrum at any point from that date, although the precise timing of any launch is a commercial decision for EE. There have been no other applications to liberalise 1800 MHz licences to date.

Sports

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials in her Department work on delivering policies for sport; and how much of her Department's budget was allocated to supporting this activity in the latest period for which figures are available.

Hugh Robertson: The Department operates a flexible working model and staff resources are aligned to ministerial priorities. As a result of this working practice budgets are not allocated but retained centrally. The flexible resourcing process operates on a six-weekly cycle and allows us to determine where staff should be allocated in line with priorities.

Telephones: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Telephone Preference Service, (b) Ofcom and (c) the Information Commissioner's Office in preventing unsolicited sales and marketing calls.

Edward Vaizey: No such assessment has been made but we are aware that the current protections are not working as best they could. I raised concern about the effectiveness in a meeting with the Telephone Preference Service, the Information Commissioners Office and Ofcom in July. The meeting discussed how the current system can be improved and enforcement made more effective. This will be followed by a further meeting in the autumn to agree next steps.
	The Department is also seeking views on how the current consumer protections can be improved as part of the communications review.

Telephones: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on the volume of unsolicited sales and marketing calls made over the last five years.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not hold any information about the volume of unsolicited sales and marketing calls made over the last five years. Unsolicited marketing calls are regulated by Ofcom which has outsourced the management of the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to the Telephone Preference Service Ltd. Information about the number of complaints regarding unsolicited calls is held by the TPS and the Information Commissioners Office. I have been advised by TPS that the number of complaints received from January 2007 to July 2012 is 220,267.

Voluntary Work

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) outside bodies on steps to draw upon the experience of Olympics volunteering in encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to become more regularly involved in local volunteering.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	This Government recently gave a £2 million grant to Join In, an exciting new charity set up to build on the volunteering momentum created by the London 2012 Games. We are working with LOCOG and voluntary sector organisations to capture the spirit of the Games and build a strong legacy by inspiring a new generation of volunteers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Females

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were issued with antisocial behaviour orders in 2011.

Jeremy Browne: Antisocial behaviour orders data for 2011 are due to be published on 18 October 2012.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Prostitution

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women received an antisocial behaviour order having been convicted of offences involving loitering and soliciting in the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Asylum

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to promote the social inclusion of refugees.

Mark Harper: The Home Office does not have any specific policies to promote the social inclusion of refugees, although individuals granted refugee status have full entitlement to access public funds and services. The role of Government is to create the conditions which enable integration to happen in all places and with all communities to promote social mobility, and to help ensure equality of opportunity and equal treatment for all.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance the Metropolitan police has given to Bahraini security forces since January 2011.

James Brokenshire: There have been two deployments of Metropolitan police officers to Bahrain since January 2011, provided under section 26 of the Police Act 1996. In addition to this, the UK Police Counter Terrorism Liaison and Extremism Officer (CTELO) based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, maintains a liaison relationship on counter-terrorism matters with the Bahraini authorities.

Crime: Betting Shops

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with organisations representing (a) the betting industry and (b) betting shop workers on criminal activity related to betting shops.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office has not had any recent discussions with any organisations representing the betting industry or betting shop workers regarding criminal activity in betting shops. The Association of Chief Police Officers and the Metropolitan Police Force have however worked with the betting industry to produce guidance to prevent commercial robbery and the Home Office is working with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) and retail partners to tackle violence against shop workers.

Cybercrime

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to increase the police and security services' ability to monitor criminal online activity.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to ensuring that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the capabilities they need to protect the public from crime, disorder and terrorism, consistent with its wider approach to preserving civil liberties, including the right to privacy and safeguarding national security. Information relating to the activity of criminals online is critical to the investigation and often prosecution of their crimes.
	We recognise the need to ensure these capabilities are maintained in the face of new internet-based technologies. On 14 June 2012, the Government published the draft Communications Data Bill, which is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. This proposed legislation will enable more of the communications data (the who, when, and where of a communication, but not its content) required by law enforcement and other agencies to be retained by communications service providers. It will also retain and extend the safeguards and oversight arrangements for the acquisition of these data that exist under current legislation, ensuring compliance with the European convention on human rights.
	The Home Office is also working with the police and social media industry to strengthen co-operation and ensure that the police are equipped to combat crime and disorder. This includes supporting the development of a capability which is vital for police to assess and identify potential criminality disclosed through social media and other online communication platforms.
	Law enforcement also plays a key role in disrupting cybercrime and, as part of the National Cyber Security Programme, we are developing their capacity to deal with online crime. This has included, for example, increased resources in real terms for the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) in the Metropolitan police to tackle serious online crime.

Cybercrime

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department is making in combating cybercrime.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office and its partners have made significant progress in combating cybercrime. As set out in the National Cyber Security Strategy, an effective approach to cybercrime requires a combination of prevention and enforcement activity and the Government has made significant progress in both of these areas since publication. This has been supported by the significant investment of the National Cyber Security Programme funding.
	Prevention:
	Effective partnership between the Government and industry on cyber security is crucial in protecting individuals and their data. The Government has committed £395,000 of additional funding to help expand "Get Safe Online" (GSOL) which is a partnership between the Government, law enforcement and private sector partners to help deliver advice on online security that is accessible to everyone.
	On 5 September the Government launched a Cyber Security Booklet to help companies to better understand how best to protect themselves against online threats.
	Reporting:
	By improving the level of crime reporting that takes place, we are improving our understanding of the level of cybercrime. We have made the reporting of online crime as simple as possible. By the end of this year, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime, will have rolled out an enhanced version of its online reporting tool to speed up data input. This will benefit businesses and other users with multiple reports, by making it quicker to enter the data in one session.
	Additionally, to make it easier for fraud and cybercrimes to be reported to the police, by April 2013 all police forces in England and Wales will be using Action Fraud to record all reports made by members of the public and businesses. This means there will be one central place to report incidents of fraud and cybercrime directly or via the police, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at:
	www.actionfraud.police.uk
	This will provide a more streamlined and consistent approach to the local law enforcement response to fraud, and enable the disruption of organised criminal activity online.
	Law enforcement:
	Law enforcement plays a key role in disrupting cybercrime, and as part of the National Cyber Security Programme, we are developing the capacity and capability of law enforcement to deal with online crime. In real terms this has meant increased resource for the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) in the Metropolitan Police and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to tackle serious online crime.
	We will build on these capabilities further still by, as part of developing the new National Crime Agency (NCA), bringing together the impressive work of SOCA Cyber and the Police Central e-Crime Unit to form the National Cyber Crime Unit, to tackle the most serious forms of online law enforcement in the UK and will provide resources, intelligence, and guidance on best practice to police forces.
	We have been supporting this with a continuing focus on mainstreaming cyber capability and capability across law enforcement more generally, such as the recent establishment of three regional policing hubs in the north-west, east midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber.
	International work:
	Cybercrime is an inherently international challenge where criminal actions are not bounded by state borders. The Government have taken a strong lead in driving the international agenda to tackle cybercrime. Having ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime we are working with other states to encourage them to adopt it too. We will be working with the Hungarian Government in organising the Budapest Conference on cyber issues that will be held in October. This is a follow up to the London Conference on Cyberspace that was hosted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in November 2011.
	To support our international work, we have provided funding from the National Cyber Security Programme to the Serious Organised Crime Agency to allow them to deploy Cyber Liaison Officers to a number of countries, to assist with international cooperation on investigations.

Dangerous Dogs

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has given consideration to bringing forward proposals to treat attacks upon guide dogs as an attack upon the person; and if she will make a statement.

David Heath: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The Government recently completed a consultation on a package of proposals to tackle irresponsible ownership of dogs. The consultation attracted over 27,000 responses. We are currently analysing the responses before making any announcements about a way forward. The existing laws on dangerous dogs and animal welfare already provide protection in this area. However, I will give careful consideration to the suggestion.

Drugs: Misuse

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many users of the drug MCAT were arrested in the last year.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 5 September 2012
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Immigration Controls

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the Government's ability to prevent mass immigration to the UK from other EU countries.

Mark Harper: The Home Office carries out scenario planning for possible events which would impact on migration flows from the European Union to the UK. Currently there are no new trends which give cause for concern.
	Under EU law, any European national staying in the UK for more than three months must be exercising treaty rights as a worker, student, self-employed or self-sufficient person.
	Those who are not exercising those rights are required to leave the UK.

Social Media

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the extent of use of social media for criminal purposes; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 6 September 2012
	My right hon. Friend Secretary of State for the Home Department met with representatives from Twitter following the August 2011 disorder. The Government continue to work closely with representatives from social media, industry, voluntary sector and the Association of Chief Police Officers on the use of social media for criminal purposes.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department plans to respond to (a) the letter of 22 May 2012 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay and (b) follow-up email of 25 June 2012 concerning his constituent Mr Patrick McGreal.

Mark Harper: holding answer 5 September 2012
	Border Force replied to the hon. Member on 6 September 2012.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter concerning Mr Mohammad Mirza Hussain sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 2 July 2012.

Mark Harper: My hon. Friend the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice replied to the right hon. Gentleman in a letter dated 24 July 2012.

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish a regular update of the number of police officers deployed in Olympic venues and hotels as a result of G4S not providing planned security support, including officers of Staffordshire police deployed in this work to date.

James Brokenshire: Police deployments in support of Olympic venue security operations are now concluded, and it is estimated that these have involved some 12,000 police officer shifts, around 800 of which were undertaken by Staffordshire officers. G4S have said that they will meet the costs of additional police deployments.

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many soldiers have worked at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games immediately after returning from duty in Afghanistan.

James Brokenshire: A breakdown of military personnel deployed at the Olympic and Paralympic Games by previous deployments is not available. Military support to the Games, which includes the additional recent requirements, has been very carefully planned around current operations and other core activity. It has had a minimal impact on current operational and contingent commitments. Ministers have been clear that all personnel involved will receive the annual leave to which they are entitled.

Passports

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interviews at passport centres resulted in the refusal of a passport in the 12 months preceding 31 January 2009.

Mark Harper: The interview is one part of the process of confirming the identity of first time adult applicants, and one of the main purposes of the process is to deter anyone from making a false application for a passport. Where doubts arise regarding identity, applicants are asked to provide further evidence, or to attend an additional interview. It is unusual for the interview process to result in the formal refusal of a passport because in most cases either the doubt is resolved, or contact with the applicant is lost.
	In the 12 months preceding 31 January 2009 one application was refused as a direct result of a confirmation of identity interview. Additionally, in the calendar year 2008, a further 1,259 passport applications were withdrawn as the result of customers being advised that an interview was required. While these applications may not all be fraudulent, they are applications which, without the interview process could have resulted in passports being issued. From September 2007 to August 2010, 3,153 applications were withdrawn at this stage.
	Together this information underlines the usefulness of the interview as a deterrent to those attempting to make a fraudulent passport application. Notwithstanding this IPS is currently reviewing its interview processes to improve on fraud prevention and deterrence.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has exercised the reserved powers under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to intervene in respect of the format and composition of police and crime panels.

Damian Green: At this stage it has not been necessary for the Secretary of State to use her reserve powers to intervene in the formation of police and crime panels.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she plans to offer to Police and Crime Commissioners on commissioning services for the support of (a) victims of crime and (b) witnesses of crime.

Helen Grant: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	Police and Crime Commissioners will not be issued with prescriptive guidance. Directly elected PCCs will be best placed to assess local needs in relation to a number of services that are relevant to policing and crime, including those for victims and witnesses. We expect that the needs of victims and witnesses will be one of the top priorities for PCCs in all police force areas.
	The Government have been supporting the Association of Police Authority chief executives to develop PCCs' commissioning capacity and skills, and equipping PCCs to commission services for victims and witnesses.

Police: Mobile Phones

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue advice to police forces in England and Wales on the use of mobile telephones whilst driving police vehicles.

Damian Green: Use of a mobile phone while driving any vehicle is an offence, unless the driver is calling an emergency service or responding to a genuine emergency and it is unsafe or impracticable to cease driving to make the call. Any advice to police forces would be a matter for chief officers.

Police: Working Hours

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with police forces in England and Wales on police officers working on weekends.

Damian Green: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department holds regular discussions with representatives from police forces on a wide range of issues, including working arrangements for police officers.

Russia

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the names of the 60 Russian officials she has sent to the Russian authorities in connection with the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

Mark Harper: holding answer 6 September 2012
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has sent no information to the Russian authorities about any individual who may or may not be connected to the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

Security: Indonesia

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether (a) her Department and (b) the police provided advice or training to Indonesian security and defence forces in the last five years.

Damian Green: In the past five years the Home Office, its agencies and the police have provided a range of assistance to Indonesian counterparts. This has included participation in multilateral training programmes, deployments of serving police officers and delivery of training courses.
	The Counter Terrorism Command of the Metropolitan Police Service also has a Counter Terrorism and Extremism Liaison Officer (CTELO) responsible for facilitating police to police inquiries on international terrorist investigations in the Asia Pacific region (including Indonesia). The post has been based in Jakarta since September 2009. In addition, the UK has provided a police trainer to the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Co-operation since 2005.

Sports

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department work on policies relating to (a) the role of sport in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and (b) other areas of policy relating to sport; and how much of her Department's budget was allocated to supporting this activity in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office is providing funding in 2012-13 to a number of voluntary sector organisations that use sport-based interventions, with other approaches, to tackle crime and social disorder through the Positive Futures programme; the Communities Against Gangs, Guns and Knives (CAGGK) fund; and the Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund (CAACIF).
	Details of the funding are shown in the table. It is not possible to quantify the proportion of this funding that is spent exclusively on sport-based activities, as many of the recipients also make use of other diversionary activities such as music and art, as well as running other programmes such as mentoring.
	Responsibility for these approaches forms part of a number of officials' roles. We estimate that this equates to approximately 1.5 officials' working time. It is not possible to break this down further to estimate the proportion of time specifically spent on the role of sport in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.
	
		
			 Grant stream 2012-13 (£) 
			 Positive Futures 5,063,000 
			 CAGGK 232,771 
			 CAACIF 337,443

JUSTICE

Driving Offences

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many motorists were prosecuted for contravening red traffic lights in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many motorists were prosecuted for dangerous driving in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many motorists were prosecuted for (a) killing and (b) seriously injuring a cyclist in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  how many motorists have been prosecuted for offences related to cyclists in the last 10 years.

Jeremy Wright: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for failing to comply with traffic lights, signals or signs in England and Wales from 2002 to 2011 can be viewed in Table 1.
	From data held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database it is not possible to separately identify offences specific to contravening red traffic lights from other offences of failing to comply with signals or signs.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for dangerous driving, and causing death by dangerous driving, in England and Wales from 2002 to 2011 can be viewed in Table 2.
	Other than where specified in a statute, information held centrally does not include all the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from data held centrally on criminal motoring offences whether the victim was a cyclist.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for failing to comply with traffic lights, signals or signs(1), England and Wales, 2002 to 2011(2,3) 
			 Offence description 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008(4) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Failing to comply with traffic lights, signals or signs(1) 16,858 15,793 13,670 10,664 13,876 15,755 13,508 15,970 15,527 13,778 
			 (1) Includes offences under section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous driving, England and Wales, 2002 to 2011(1,2) 
			 Offence description 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008(3) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Dangerousdriving(4) 6,507 7,075 6,673 5,561 5,055 4,705 3,940 3,887 3,495 3,271 
			 Causingdeathby dangerous driving(5) 260 299 287 273 269 276 266 252 196 175 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Includes offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended by Road Traffic Act 1991. (5) Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended by Road Traffic Act 1991 and Criminal Justice Act 2003. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Jack Beecham

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of the appeal of Jack Beecham against conviction for assault heard in Liverpool Crown court on 11 to 13 July 2012;
	(2)  what the cost to the criminal justice system was of (a) proceedings against Jack Beecham from his arrest on 27 May 2010 on suspicion of assault to the conclusion of his appeal against conviction in Liverpool Crown court on 13 July 2012, (b) police, (i) time, (ii) legal advice and (iii) legal representation relating to that case, (c) collecting evidence for both sides in that case and (d) employing counsel and instructing solicitors for the prosecution in that case.

Helen Grant: As the right hon. Member is aware: Jack Beecham was arrested on 27 May 2010 and charged with assault. He underwent two sets of court proceedings in consequence: at Wirral magistrates court, where on 9 May 2011 he was convicted of assaulting a police officer; and at Liverpool Crown court where, on 13 June 2012 his appeal against the afore-mentioned conviction was overturned.
	The criminal justice agencies present in these proceedings were primarily: Merseyside Police; the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); and Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals' Service (HMCTS). Under section 20(1) of the Access to Justice Act 1999, the Legal Services Commission is prohibited from disclosing any information relating to applications for legal aid.
	The costs to the Police, HMCTS and CPS are estimated and drawn together for the purposes of providing the right hon. Member with a response. They are set out in tabular form at Annex A and include the rationale behind the information provided. Costs cannot be broken down into specific elements of proceedings and nor can they be attributed to every case dealt with. Courthouses and police stations can accommodate numerous cases and individuals at any one time and, in the main, staff, police and judges will work on more than one matter per day.
	
		
			 Annex A: Estimated costs to public bodies involved in the court proceedings of Jack Beecham (relative to his arrest on 27 May 2010) 
			 Public Sector body Costs rationale Cost of the magistrates court proceedings Cost of the appeal in the Crown Court Estimated totals 
			 CPS Costs per case are estimated. A sum payable to Counsel in respect of the Appeal is still to be finalised, so cannot be divulged. £400 £270 plus Counsel’s fee £670 plus Counsel’s fee 
			      
			 Merseyside Police The costs provided are an estimate of the police time spent in processing the case and the cost of detaining an individual in custody. They cannot be split between the magistrates and Crown court proceedings. £1,680 (time) £230 (custody)   
			   £1,910 n/a £1,910 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 HMCTS HMCTS bases it calculations around a court ‘sitting day’, assessed as 5 hours, which is the average time a matter is before a judge. Judicial cost: £110.00 Staff cost: £1094.00 Judicial cost: £992.00 Staff cost: £665.00 (1)£5,483 
			  Magistrates Court A case takes an average 3.5 hours to conclude (0.7 of a sitting day) £1,204 x 0.7 sitting days £1,657.00 x 2.8 sitting days (1)— 
			  Crown Court Jack Beecham’s appeal case is recorded as 14.2 hours, i.e. 2.8 sitting days. £843 £4,640 (1)— 
			      
			  Estimated totals £3,153 £4,910 plus Counsel’s fee £8,063 (Estimate) plus Counsel’s fee 
			 (1) Indicates a brace.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of whiplash claims; and what assessment his Department has made of the merits of raising the threshold for soft tissue injuries in the small claims court from £1,000 to £5,000.

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps he has taking to establish new standards relating to the evidence required and damages payable for whiplash.

Helen Grant: The Government will shortly publish a consultation document on the introduction of independent medical panels and on whether to amend the small claims threshold for damages for personal injury claims. The consultation document and its related impact assessments will be available to download from the Ministry of Justice website following publication.
	The Government are committed to finding ways of tackling fraudulent and exaggerated whiplash claims, while ensuring that people who have suffered a genuine neck injury can continue to get appropriate compensation. Contributions and evidence from stakeholders will be sought on ways to reduce the number and costs of whiplash claims, and on the potential impacts of these proposals on affected groups.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will remove the opt-in voluntary element of the repatriation of foreign prisoners to their countries of origin.

Jeremy Wright: Reducing the foreign national offender (FNO) population in the UK is a key priority for this Government. The UK has Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) with over 100 countries and territories, most of which are voluntary and require the prisoner's consent to transfer. Removing prisoner consent from these arrangements would require the consent of the other Government concerned and the renegotiation of each agreement. There is no guarantee other Governments would agree to this. However, as part of our strategy to reduce the FNO population, we are seeking to negotiate more compulsory PTAs, which will not require the consent of the prisoner to transfer.

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what written (a) advice and (b) guidance (i) his Department and (ii) the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman provides to members of the public wishing to make a complaint about the Office of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such document; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: Service users are sent a leaflet that explains how they can complain about either the outcome of an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman or about the conduct of the Ombudsman's staff. They may complain by telephone, letter, fax or email, and are advised that their case will be reviewed by a senior member of staff who had no previous involvement in the investigation. The leaflet also explains that service users who feel they have suffered some injustice because their complaint has not been handled properly can ask a Member of Parliament to refer their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who can investigate complaints about the administrative actions of a wide range of public bodies.
	Information about how to make a complaint about the outcome of an investigation is also available on the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's website for members of the public.
	The policy for handling complaints about the professional conduct of staff is also on the Ombudsman's website. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the effectiveness of procedures in place for the investigation of alleged misconduct by Essex Probation; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: All probation trusts are required to have in place a scheme for considering and responding to complaints. Trusts are also required to provide inquirers with information about the scheme, which must include arrangements for appeal against the initial decision.
	If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints process, there is a further avenue of appeal to the prisons and probation ombudsman, where the complaint is made by or on behalf of an offender: in all cases, the complainant can ask the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to investigate the trust's handling of the complaint.

Procurement

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure it procures equipment from companies with the necessary intellectual property rights for any equipment it is supplying; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what procurement policies his Department has to support UK (a) small to medium enterprise suppliers and (b) technology, intellectual property and innovation.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has standard terms and conditions for its procurements which contain warranties on the part of the contractor to the effect that its works/goods/services do not infringe intellectual property rights and an indemnity for the benefit of the Ministry in respect of any liability arising out of any infringement.
	The MOJ supports the Government's commitment to helping small firms within an overarching policy of obtaining value for money. The MOJ has adopted processes and procedures that support this policy including:
	Publishing relevant opportunities on the MOJ website and Contracts Finder, the single Government portal for opportunities for over £10,000.
	Reviewing and updating tender documentation for simplicity and user-friendliness to support the Government's LEAN Sourcing programme.
	Consideration of the role of SMEs in delivering the requirements of the category in all category/sourcing strategies.
	Providing a mentoring and advice service to Departments that are breaking requirements into smaller lots for the first time.
	Reviewing supplier databases within our ERP systems to ensure that existing suppliers are correctly classified and that any new suppliers are similarly identified at first registration. This has enabled the Department to pay SMEs promptly within five working days.
	MOJ procurement policies and procedures support the Government's commitment to harnessing innovation procurement in order to deliver improved services, value for money, and to stimulate the competitiveness of businesses.
	Through early market engagement, as part of pre- procurement activity, we seek to identify novel ways of delivering both new and existing requirements, thereby encouraging innovation and technological developments.
	Risk relating to IPR is managed through stringent procurement processes, assurance procedures and adherence to terms and conditions of contract.
	Ongoing proactive contract management builds supplier relationships with the intention of developing further innovation during the life of the contract.

Reoffenders

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were recalled to prison after their release in each probation service in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: The following table provides information on the number of offenders recalled from determinate and indeterminate sentences, by probation trust, in the latest period for which figures are available, 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012.
	
		
			 Number of offenders recalled from determinate and indeterminate sentences, by probation trust, 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012, England and Wales 
			 Probation Trust Number of recalls 
			 Avon and Somerset 102 
			 Bedfordshire 47 
			 Cambridgeshire 46 
			 Cheshire 54 
			 Cumbria 39 
			 Derbyshire 80 
			 Devon and Cornwall 93 
			 Dorset 47 
			 Durham Tees Valley 119 
			 Essex 70 
			 Gloucestershire 33 
			 Greater Manchester 297 
			 Hampshire 95 
			 Hertfordshire 43 
			 Humberside 79 
			 Kent 100 
			 Lancashire 147 
			 Leicestershire 69 
			 Lincolnshire 35 
			 London 700 
			 Merseyside 139 
			 Norfolk and Suffolk 59 
			 North Yorkshire 28 
			 Northamptonshire 48 
			 Northumbria 122 
			 Nottinghamshire 115 
			 South Yorkshire 146 
			 Staffordshire and West Midlands 375 
			 Surrey and Sussex 122 
			 Thames Valley 100 
			 Warwickshire 21 
			 West Mercia 40 
			 West Yorkshire 245 
			 Wiltshire 32 
			 Wales 298 
			 Total 4,185 
			 Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

TRANSPORT

Airports

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with business consortia on a potential hub airport in Oxfordshire or Berkshire.

Simon Burns: No such discussions have taken place.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review his policy on High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: There are no plans to review the Department's policy on High Speed 2. The policy remains as that set out in the Command Paper High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future—Decisions and Next Steps (Cm 8247), published in January.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has planned with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss funding for the High Speed 2 project.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport regularly discusses the Government's plans to invest in transport infrastructure with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Chesham and Amersham constituency to view the potential effects of the proposed route of High Speed 2 on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Simon Burns: Before introducing the HS2 Bill into Parliament I will consider carefully the impacts of the scheme on all of the areas along the line of route to understand how it potentially affects local communities and the environment. However, I am confident that impacts to the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been minimised wherever practicable, with 7.5 miles now in tunnel or green tunnel compared to 5.2 miles for the consultation route, and 3.75 miles in cutting, mitigating visual and noise impacts.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has issued instructions to Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting of a Hybrid Bill on the High Speed 2 project.

Simon Burns: The Department has a regular dialogue with Parliamentary Counsel regarding legislative issues. This includes discussions about the Hybrid Bill for HS2.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department has made of the costs of preparing and publishing a Hybrid Bill for the High Speed 2 project; and if he will publish those costs.

Simon Burns: For the period 2012-13 to 2014-15 the Department has allocated a budget of £527 million to High Speed 2 Ltd. This budget includes work on the Hybrid Bill for the London to Birmingham phase, as well as preparatory work on the second section of the high speed rail network. No specific estimate has been made of the budget for the preparation and publication of the Hybrid Bill for the first phase.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings have been planned or arranged with (a) the chairman of HS2 Ltd and (b) the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd; and if he could list them.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is holding introductory meetings with a range of key stakeholders, including the Chairman and Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the judicial reviews to take place in relation to the High Speed 2 project; and how much his Department has budgeted for those reviews.

Simon Burns: The Department for Transport (DFT) has estimated that the Government's defence in the ongoing judicial reviews of HS2 will cost approximately £300,000 in addition to DFT and HS2 Ltd salary costs. We have budgeted accordingly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) lawyers, (b) consultants and (c) officials in his Department are working on the High Speed 2 judicial reviews.

Simon Burns: In response to (a), DFT's legal defence team for the HS2 judicial reviews includes three lawyers employed by the Department: one who advises solely on HS2, including the judicial reviews; and two whose portfolios include, among other things, HS2 and the judicial reviews. In response to (b) and (c), no consultants, and three policy officials are working predominantly on the judicial reviews.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will undertake a study of the combined effect of High Speed 2 and any airport expansion in the South East on Chesham and Amersham and the Chiltern Hills.

Simon Burns: The Department has no current plans to undertake such a study.

Large Goods Vehicles: EU Countries

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations govern domestic levies and charges on HGVs from EU member states traversing other member states.

Stephen Hammond: The Eurovignette Directive (Directive 1999/62/EC as amended by 2006/38/EC and 2011/76/EU) sets out a framework of rules for minimum vehicle excise duty rates for HGVs registered in EU member states, and rules for the functioning of tolls and charges for HGVs, including maximum daily charges. It does not mandate tolls or charging.

Liverpool Airport

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the role of Liverpool Airport within the National Airport Strategy.

Simon Burns: In July the Government published for consultation a draft Aviation Policy Framework. This recognises the very important role airports across the UK play in providing domestic and international connections and the vital contribution they make to the growth of regional economies. The final Framework will be adopted by March 2013.

Railways: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the effects of potential franchise changes on rail services in Wales.

Simon Burns: Department for Transport Ministers and officials meet regularly with their Welsh counterparts to discuss a wide range of topics.
	The Welsh Government responded formally to recent public consultations on the Inter City West Coast Franchise and the Great Western Franchise both of which have services which link England and Wales.

Shipping: Treaties

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2012, Official Report, column 876W, on shipping: treaties, what progress has been made in the international level discussions addressing the technical issues preventing the UK from ratifying the ILO convention 185 on seafarers' identity documents; when the last such meeting took place; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Stephen Hammond: Discussions are still taking place and I understand that the relevant working group last met in March 2012. There needs to be a satisfactory resolution of the technical issues before there can be ratification by the UK of the convention.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Child Poverty

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK Government's welfare reform policies on levels of child poverty in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: Welfare reform and tackling child poverty are devolved matters which are the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland MLA, on 26 April at:
	http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-dsd-260412-poverty-horror-for?WT.mc_id=rss-news
	in which he states:
	“...the impact of introducing Universal Credit will result in over 10,000 children being lifted out of poverty in Northern Ireland.”

Civil Disorder: Belfast

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the recent disturbances in North Belfast; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has discussed the matter with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and welcomes the fact that local political and community leaders are now working to find a resolution.
	There can be no justification or excuse for this serious outbreak of violence. It causes fear and anguish for those living in the areas affected. I encourage all of those with influence in local communities to do all that they can to reduce the tension. Those who engage in criminal activity will of course continue to face the full force of the law.

Parades Commission

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the work and role of the Parades Commission in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: The Parades Commission is the lawfully constituted body for making determinations on parading in Northern Ireland. The Commission has the full support of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I. We would urge all those with an interest in parading to work with the Commission and to abide by its determinations.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the cost of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's participation in the EU's Project Indect.

Michael Penning: Policing and justice functions were devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive in April 2010, therefore responsibilities in this area fall directly to the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland together with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Terrorism

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the activities of (a) dissident Republican groups and (b) Loyalist paramilitaries.

Michael Penning: The threat posed by dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland remains severe. The Government remain fully committed to countering violence in all its forms and supporting the overwhelming majority of people who want to live without fear and intimidation.
	I am advised that the loyalist paramilitary leadership remain committed to their ceasefires, although there has been unsanctioned violent activity including involvement in a wide range of acts of criminality. This has no place in Northern Ireland and, where appropriate, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I will ensure that close working with the Justice Minister and Chief Constable continues on these issues. Those who engage in criminal activity will of course face the full force of the law.

Unemployment: Young People

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK Government's economic policies on youth unemployment in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: The latest unemployment statistics for Northern Ireland show that there were 18,877 youth claimants under 25 receiving benefits. This is a decrease of 0.5% over the year.
	Tackling youth unemployment is a devolved responsibility, but we are keen to work closely with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to encourage growth, attract employment and help young people into work.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

One North West

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have given to One North West.

Brandon Lewis: No funding has been given to One North West by the Department of Communities and Local Government or its agencies over at least the last five financial years.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library copies of all replies from local councils to his letter concerning the breach of the six-weeks limit on the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families.

Mark Prisk: The Minister without Portfolio, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), wrote on a private basis to 20 local authorities concerning the breach of the six-weeks limit on the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families. I believe it is right to treat the replies on the same basis and therefore it would not be appropriate for me to place copies of all replies from those authorities in the Library of the House.

Betting Shops: Licensing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it a requirement within the proposals to relax planning controls that it will still be necessary for a change of use of application to be made to the local authority in respect of changing the use of premises to a betting shop.

Nicholas Boles: Under planning regulations, betting shops which fall into the "A2—Financial and professional services" class are treated the same as other uses within the A2 class. There are some changes that have national planning permission, and some that require specific planning applications. Notwithstanding, councils can already use their Article 4 powers to require a planning application if there are local concerns about such developments. Our consultation "New opportunities for sustainable development and growth through the reuse of existing buildings" closes shortly and we will consider the responses received and will decide a way forward in due course.

Biofuels

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the contribution of the differentiation between first and second generation biofuels for heating oil and building regulations purposes to the establishment of a UK-based biofuels industry based upon recycled food waste.

John Hayes: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	Bioliquids, including heating oil, are not currently eligible for support under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). We will be consulting this autumn on an expansion of the RHI, including the introduction of domestic support and the addition of further technologies and fuels in the non-domestic scheme.
	Under the terms of the EU renewable energy directive (RED), if we provide support to bioliquids used for heating, we would be required introduce mandatory sustainability criteria. The criteria, which are set out in the EU renewable directive, include a greenhouse gas lifecycle assessment target and land criteria to protect land with high biodiversity or carbon stocks value. Bioliquids made from wastes, such as from used cooking oil, would be exempt from the RED land criteria. Bioliquids made from wastes would also benefit from being treated as zero GHG emissions up to the point of the collection of the waste for the purpose of the RED GHG lifecycle assessment.
	For building regulation purposes, assessors evaluate the carbon dioxide emission factor for the fuels that will be consumed to meet the energy demand of the building. The methodology used to determine the emission factor takes account of emissions that are given off when the fuel is burnt at the point of use, and emissions associated with producing, processing and transporting the fuel to the point of use.

Certification Quality Marks: Iron and Steel

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the potential financial effect on small businesses of the requirement for CE marking of structural steel; and if he will make a statement.

Don Foster: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Department for Communities and Local Government carried out a public consultation as part of its preparation for negotiations on the European Construction Products Regulation. The consultation paper, the report on the consultation and the impact assessment are published on the Department's website:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/constructionsproductsconsult
	The impact assessment produced after the public consultation includes information, reflecting responses gathered during the public consultation, on the how the new regulation will impact on industry including small businesses when it comes fully into effect on 1 July 2013.
	Officials continue to work with industry to help understanding of and preparation for this new regulation, which includes derogations to reduce the impacts on smaller sized companies.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2012, Official Report, column 315W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, how many and which local authorities in each region submitted a final bid to his Department's Weekly Collection Support Scheme by the deadline of 17 August 2012.

Brandon Lewis: My Department is currently assessing the final bids we received requesting funding from the Weekly Collection Support Scheme and Ministers will make a statement in due course. The Weekly Collections Support Scheme does not operate on the basis of the old Government office for the regions.

Empty Property

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of empty residential properties (a) nationally, (b) in Gloucestershire and (c) in Tewkesbury.

Mark Prisk: Data on empty homes can be found in the Department for Communities and Local Government live tables on dwelling stock. Live table 615 shows empty homes by local authority district.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/

Housing

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what comparative assessment he has made of the compatibility of Office for National Statistics census data and his Department's projections for local authorities for household size in terms of their respective weighting when informing local decision-making for housing core strategies.

Nicholas Boles: The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to identify the scale and mix of housing that the local population is likely to need which meets household and population projections. This evidence informs the Local Plan which is examined by the Planning Inspectorate. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not undertake central assessment of the data used by local planning authorities to inform local decisions on identifying housing need.

Housing Benefit

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the minimum standard of accommodation offered by landlords to tenants on housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 5 September 2012
	Local authorities have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to assess the risks and hazards in all residential properties using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling. This system provides an important safety net, ensuring that homes are safe and decent. This legislation applies to all residential properties, irrespective of whether any tenants claim housing benefit.
	In addition, the Localism Act 2011 contains provisions to give local authorities the flexibility to choose to offer private rented sector accommodation to homeless households, so increasing the availability of accommodation. The proposed draft Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 specifies circumstances in which the private rented sector accommodation is not to be regarded as suitable. It will prevent the use of poor quality accommodation.

Housing: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing (a) starts and (b) completions were made in each London local authority in each of the last five years; and how many and what proportion of housing starts and completions were for affordable homes.

Mark Prisk: Statistics on new housing starts and completions in each local authority in London, taken from the National Statistics on House Building, are published in live table 253 on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website which is available from the following link.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housebuilding/livetables/
	These statistics show starts and completions split by tenure according to whether the organisation responsible for the development is a private company, a housing association or a local authority. The figures for housing associations and local authorities can together be used as a proxy for affordable housing starts and completions. However, these figures may underestimate affordable housing supply and overestimate private housing, as they are from building control records in which the ultimate tenure may be difficult to identify.
	Statistics on the full extent of affordable housing supply by local authority are published in the Department's live tables 1006, 1007 and 1008, which are available at the following link.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/
	From 1 April 2012, the Mayor of London has had oversight of strategic housing, regeneration and economic development in London.

Incinerators

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of existing provision of incineration capacity for the disposal of municipal waste; and how the effect on capacity from proposed incineration plants will be (a) calculated and (b) judged in terms of planning decisions.

Nicholas Boles: The Government has made no recent assessment. However, in 2010 the Government published an assessment of Private Finance Initiative grants for local government-funded waste treatment infrastructure, which included an analysis of likely waste arisings and treatment capacity for the purposes of meeting the 2020 EU Landfill Directive target. The Environment Agency also published in 2011 a report setting out the locations of permitted waste management facilities in England and activities they carry out.
	In line with national planning policy for waste management set out in Planning Policy Statement 10: ‘Planning for Sustainable Waste Management’, it is for local authorities, working together, to set out through their local plans their ambitions for additional waste management capacity, based on an assessment of existing and forecast waste arisings. Local authorities should then monitor arisings and review progress against their plans, to enable them to adapt to changing circumstances if required.
	Planning legislation requires decisions to be taken in line with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where a proposal for an energy recovery facility is consistent with an up-to-date local plan, the expectation is that permission should be granted without delay, subject to consideration of the merits of the particular planning application.

Local Government: Assets

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the Community Right to Bid regulations to come into force.

Don Foster: The Assets of Community Value Regulations 2012 which will introduce the Community Right to Bid are completing their final parliamentary stage, and subject to approval, the regulations will come into force in October 2012.

Local Government: Video Games

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the removal of computer games from local government computers.

Brandon Lewis: As a matter of common sense, employers will want to ensure that their staff are not inappropriately using computers during working hours. But the management of individual council staff is a matter for local councils as employers, not for Whitehall.

Parish Councils

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on membership of parish councils of new rules requiring the declaration of personal and spousal financial interests; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The principle of members of parish councils disclosing personal interests, including interests of their spouse, is well established and is important for ensuring transparency, enabling the local electors and community to have confidence in those who serve them.
	We are committed to undertaking a post implementation review of the new standards arrangements, and that will be the time for assessing how the new rules are working out in practice.
	My Department has published a practical guide for councillors, which seeks to strike a common sense balance between electoral accountability and personal privacy. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Planning Permission

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at what stage in the development of a joint core strategy neighbourhoods are able to draw up their neighbourhood plans; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: It is for a parish council or neighbourhood forum to bring forward proposals and drive the process and timetable for neighbourhood planning. A neighbourhood plan has to meet certain basic conditions including being in general conformity with the strategic policies of the development plan that is in force at the time of its independent examination.

Planning Permission

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what representations he has received from local authorities on the ability of planning departments to enforce conditions approved by planning committees in giving consent for planning applications;
	(2)  what representations he has received from local authorities on (a) changes in the number of staff employed in planning departments in planning enforcement roles and (b) the effect that such changes will have on enforcement of (i) planning regulations and (ii) conditions made in respect of planning consents made by planning committees.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 7 September 2012
	Ministers receive representations from local authorities regarding different aspects of the planning enforcement regime from time to time. I am not aware however, of any particular representations received recently either on local authorities' ability to enforce planning conditions approved by planning committees or regarding changes to the numbers of planning enforcement staff in local authorities.

Prefabricated Housing

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the use of prefabricated houses.

Mark Prisk: Off-site construction can create skilled jobs, improve the quality of homes and ultimately bring down costs. An industry-led group convened by DCLG and BIS, will look in detail at the barriers holding back the growth of this part of the sector and how increased use of such techniques can be incentivised. We will ask this advisory group of experts to prepare proposals by Budget 2013, with the aim of improving the efficiency of housing supply and unlocking high value jobs in the UK.

Right to Buy Scheme: Advertising

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on (a) direct marketing, (b) print advertisements and (c) broadcast advertisements to promote the right to buy scheme since November 2011.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Department has spent a total of £198,000 on direct marketing, including all creative, copywriting, print and postage costs for a door drop and direct mailing activity. In addition the Department has spent a total of £460,332 on print advertising comprising adverts in local newspapers, posters at bus stops near social housing and advertising in social housing newsletters. There has been no broadcast advertising on radio or television for the Right to Buy scheme since November 2011. The direct marketing and advertising has been placed since April 2012, when the Right to Buy scheme was reinvigorated, to ensure that eligible social housing tenants are aware of the increased discount now available if they wish to buy their home. We are committed to ensuring that tenants can make well informed decisions.
	To place this spending on marketing and advertising in context, DCLG has cut spending on marketing and advertising from £9.9 million in 2009-10, to £898,000 in 2010-11 and £980,000 in 2011-12.

Right to Buy Scheme: Advertising

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many billboard sites his Department has purchased for the purpose of promoting the right to buy; and what the duration and cost has been of each advertisement on such a site.

Mark Prisk: The Department has purchased a total of 3,841 poster sites in areas with social housing, mainly at bus stops. Each site was booked for two weeks and the total cost was £338,543 giving an average cost per site of £88.14. We are committed to ensuring that tenants are aware of the increased discount levels and their rights, and helping them to make well informed decisions.
	To place this spending on marketing and advertising in context, DCLG has cut spending on marketing and advertising from £9.9 million in 2009-10, to £898,000 in 2010-11 and £980,000 in 2011-12. I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1025W, which gives examples of wasteful advertising and marketing spending by the Department under the last Administration.

Right to Buy Scheme: Advertising

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what has been spent to date on his Department's There's a Window of Opportunity advertising campaign relating to the right-to-buy scheme.

Mark Prisk: The Department has spent £966,674 to date on the campaign to ensure all eligible social housing tenants are aware of the increased discount available under the reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme. This will enable social housing tenants to make an informed choice about whether to buy their home. To place this spending on marketing and advertising in context, DCLG has cut spending on marketing and advertising from £9.9 million in 2009-10, to £898,000 in 2010-11 and £980,000 in 2011-12. I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1025W, which gives examples of wasteful advertising and marketing spending by the Department under the last Administration.

Right to Buy Scheme: Private Sector

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will give consideration to introducing a discount scheme to allow long-term private tenants to acquire a right to buy from their private landlords.

Mark Prisk: It would not be appropriate for the Government to impose a requirement on private landlords to sell rented homes to tenants. Such a move would lead to landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, leading to less accommodation available for rent, which would not help landlords or tenants.
	The Government are committed to helping people meet their aspiration to own their own home, and offers a range of products including NewBuy, FirstBuy and Shared Ownership.

Social Rented Housing

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the statement of recommended practice for registered social landlords has been updated to include component accounting as a requirement; what recent assessment he has made of the potential effects of this change on small landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Statement of Recommended Practice is published by the National Housing Federation and approved by the Accounting Standards Board. The update to the practice issued in 2010, which came into effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2011, placed greater emphasis on the component accounting requirements set out in Financial Reporting Standard 15, which was issued by the Accounting Standards Board in 1999.
	No assessment has been made of the impact of this change to the recommended practice issued by the National Housing Federation.

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the actual and percentage change in cash terms was in social sector housing expenditure as a result of changes in social sector rents in each year since 1992.

Mark Prisk: Information on the change in social sector housing expenditure as a result of changes in social sector rents in each year since 1992 is not held centrally.
	Data on social sector rents and housing expenditure are published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/rentslettings/livetables/
	and
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housingfinance/livetables/
	respectively.

Sports

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in his Department work on policies relating to (a) the provision of community sports facilities and (b) other policies relating to sport; and how much of his Department's budget was spent on supporting such work in the latest period for which figures are available.

Don Foster: Officials from my Department do not work directly on the provision of community sports facilities or any other policies relating to sport. However in July my Department launched a £19 million support programme managed by Locality to help eligible community organisations to take on the community ownership and management of assets that are important to them which could include local sports facilities. The Department funded Asset Transfer Unit and Sport England have launched an interactive online platform to guide organisations through the process of community asset transfer of sports facilities:
	http://www.sportengland.org/support__advice/asset_transfer.aspx
	The National Planning Policy Framework has also increased planning protection for community facilities. The new guidance asks local councils to consider the availability and viability of community facilities as part of the plan making process and to develop policies to safeguard against their unnecessary loss.
	The Framework has introduced a new designation to protect valued local green spaces, which has the potential to provide additional planning protection to playing fields and other open green spaces.

Vulnerable Adults

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has put in place to monitor the movement of vulnerable people between local authority areas.

Mark Prisk: In the context of homelessness, if a local authority secures accommodation in the district of another local authority, they are required by law to notify the other authority in writing within 14 days from the day the accommodation was made available to the applicant.
	We recently consulted on how best to strengthen requirements in relation to the location of accommodation via the proposed Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 which will help prevent households being placed miles away from their local area. We will also be monitoring cases where a homelessness duty is ended through the Localism Act 2011 and a person becomes homeless again in their new district within two years.
	In addition, the Department collects data on the number of households in temporary accommodation in another local authority district and referrals of households with no local connection.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Sinn Fein

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Leader of the House what discussions he has held with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on hon. Members from Sinn Fein attending the House.

Andrew Lansley: None.

PRIME MINISTER

Civil Partnerships

Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister which Cabinet Minister now has responsibility for the consultation on same-sex marriage and marriage equality.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the list of Cabinet Ministers published on the No. 10 website. It can be found at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/the-coalition/the-cabinet/

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Driving under Influence

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how many people were prosecuted for causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs (section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988) in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold data related to the number of people prosecuted for each of the five separate offences created by section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, one of which is causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise at disproportionate cost.

Female Genital Mutilation

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Attorney-General how many people were prosecuted for carrying out female genital mutilation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Oliver Heald: There have been no prosecutions for female genital mutilation (FGM) to date. However, there are a number of significant factors which may affect the police investigation and prosecutions relating to FGM. The criminal justice agencies are continuing to work closely together on this issue, and steps are being taken to raise awareness and to ensure that whenever cases are reported, they will be thoroughly investigated. In addition, any vulnerable victims and witnesses will be given support and protection throughout the criminal justice process.

Prosecutions

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General what consideration is given to cost when deciding whether a prosecution is in the public interest.

Oliver Heald: Each case is determined on its own facts and merits. However, when assessing the public interest in cases involving minor offences, prosecutors should consider whether the court would impose a nominal penalty on conviction. If so, the cost, delay and uncertainty of outcome involved in bringing criminal proceedings would usually mean that a prosecution is not a proportionate response to the offending, and it would not be in the public interest to proceed. Instead, prosecutors should consider whether an out of court disposal is likely to be more effective as a response to the offending and in deterring any future re-offending.

Prosecutions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of cases pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service but withdrawn before their conclusion in each of the last five years.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not gather separate information on prosecutions that have been withdrawn before their conclusion. Cases recorded by the CPS as dropped are those which are: discontinued; where no evidence is offered; where the prosecution is stayed or where the case is withdrawn. The cost of dropped cases, estimated on a per-defendant basis, has fallen by over £7.1 million or 22.1% over the past five years. The number of dropped cases has also fallen, from 108,022 in 2007-08 to 88,106 in 2011-12. Further details are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Dropped cases and costs 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Magistrates Courts Cases Dropped (number) 95,513 80,661 78,901 80,911 75,579 
			 Magistrates Court Costs (£) 21,289,848 18,075,323 18,286,885 18,177,465 15,586.657 
			       
			 Crown Court Cases Dropped (number) 12,509 12,198 12,930 14,958 12,527 
			 Crown Court Costs (£) 10,996,412 11,202,643 10,645,786 11,299,273 9,561,734 
			 Total costs 32,286,259 29,277,967 28,932,671 29,476,738 25,148,391

Serious Fraud Office

Frank Field: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to the judgement of Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Silber of 31 July 2012, Rawlinson and Hunter Trustees SA and others v Central Criminal Court and Tchenguiz v Director of Serious Fraud Office and others, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Serious Fraud Office has adequate human and financial resources to carry out investigations and prosecutions of serious fraud.

Dominic Grieve: The Prime Minister has previously made clear that if the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) needs more resources, they will be provided. We continue to keep this under review.
	David Green CB QC was appointed as director of the SFO in April. He has set out a new system and structure to further enhance quality control and a number of key appointments have since been made to take these changes forward.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Regulation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The independent Farming Regulation Task Force reported to Government in May 2011 and recommended over 200 ways of reducing regulatory burdens on farmers and food processors. The Government published its full response to the task force on 21 February this year:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/farm-manage/farm-regulation/
	The Government accepted 159 of the task force's recommendations and are considering what could be possible on a further 31. The Food Standards Agency also published an update on 18 recommendations directed to them. Good progress is being made on meeting the priority commitments which include reducing the burden of inspections and paperwork, and an independent-led group has been appointed to hold Government to account in delivering them.
	An initial assessment of the costs and benefits of all DEFRA's regulations was published in ‘The Costs and Benefits of DEFRA's Regulatory Stock’ in August 2011:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2011/08/16/pb13623-defra-regulatory-stock/

Bovine Tuberculosis

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that members of the public are protected from gunfire during nocturnal badger culls in the trial period; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: Public safety will be paramount. Only specially trained individuals will be licensed to carry out badger control and safety arrangements will be comprehensively scrutinised with farmers and the local police force ahead of any activity, including dates, times and areas where badger control will take place. Anyone licensed to control badgers must meet strict firearms safety and competence criteria.
	Marksmen must have an appropriate firearms licence and have passed a specific Government approved training course which will include public safety, including use of safe backstops for bullets/shots. The Best Practice Guidance for controlled shooting and the Training Course guidance are available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2012/05/03/pb13716-shooting-guidance/

Bovine Tuberculosis

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered after testing positive for bovine TB in each of the last three years; what estimate he has made of the number to be so slaughtered in 2012; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Heath: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Cattle slaughtered as reactors or inconclusive reactors in England 
			  Number 
			 2011 26,090 
			 2010 24,428 
			 2009 24,924 
		
	
	Up to the end of May 2012, 11,426 cattle have been slaughtered in England this year as reactors or inconclusive reactors.

Dairy Farming: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the implementation of the EU dairy package in Wales.

David Heath: My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Sir James Paice), last met with his Welsh counterpart at the time of the Royal Welsh Show in July this year. Officials have remained in close contact with representatives from the Welsh Government as we each prepare for implementation of the EU Dairy package. Consultations are planned across each part of the UK for this autumn.

Fisheries: Arctic

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Arctic Council and (b) other bodies about future fishing restrictions in the Arctic region.

Richard Benyon: Ministers have had no specific discussions with the Arctic Council about these issues, but DEFRA officials attend annual negotiations with Norway, Greenland and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and North West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation where quota limits and other conservation measures are agreed.
	In January 2012 there was a meeting between the UK and Norwegian Fisheries Ministers, and in February 2012 with the Icelandic Fisheries Minister, and a range of marine issues including Arctic fisheries were discussed.

Fisheries: Arctic

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fishing rights are available to British fishermen in the High Arctic.

Richard Benyon: In 2012 the following quotas in Arctic waters were allocated to UK fishing vessels:
	
		
			 Species Tonnes 
			 North Norway  
			 Cod 7,645 
			 Haddock 887 
			 Saithe 182 
			 Redfish 150 
			 Greenland Halibut 25 
			   
			 Svalbard  
			 Cod 3,397 
			   
			 Greenland  
			 Cod 364 
			 Redfish 31 
			 Greenland Halibut 275

Fisheries: Arctic

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on future fishing opportunities for British fishermen in the Arctic region; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The UK will continue to seek the best available fishing opportunities for British fishermen in the Arctic region. In doing so we will ensure that such opportunities are based on the best available science and follow the precautionary approach so that all fishing operations by British fishermen in the region are conducted in a sustainable and responsible manner. The scientific advice should also indicate the impacts of climate change on fisheries in the Arctic and where appropriate we would take relevant action in respect of UK fishing operations.

Flood Control

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase flood prevention in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England and Wales.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 5 September 2012
	DEFRA funds the Environment Agency and lead local flood authorities to undertake flood risk management across England. Flood risk management in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.
	(a) In Barnsley Central constituency, the Environment Agency has completed work to reduce the risk of flooding to 72 houses.
	(b) In South Yorkshire, the Environment Agency is working with other risk management authorities (RMAs) to reduce the risk of flooding to around 6,900 houses and 325 commercial properties. Schemes include:
	Stainforth Flood Alleviation Scheme;
	Ea Beck Embankment Reconditioning;
	Rawcliffe Bridge Embankment Repairs, River Don;
	Don Catchment Regulators—Contingency Bypass;
	Rotherham Chapel on the Bridge;
	Sheffield Lower Don Valley Flood Protection Project Study;
	Whiston, Rotherham Property Level Flood Protection;
	Aston, Aughton and Swallownest Flood Risk Reduction;
	Rotherham—Station Road, Wath Upon Dearne;
	Anston Brook—Cramfit Brook Laughton Common Desilting Scheme;
	Darfield Bridge, Barnsley Property Level Flood Protection.
	(c) In England, RMAs will begin construction on over 60 flood and coastal risk management schemes in 2012-13. This will reduce the risk of flooding to 24,800 houses. In addition, schemes completed this financial year (2012-13) will reduce the risk of flooding to 55,000 houses.

Game Birds

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to undertake an investigation into the treatment of game birds and the shooting industry.

Richard Benyon: There are no proposals to undertake a review into the treatment of game birds or the shooting industry. The Government consider that the existing law in the form of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides the necessary protection for the welfare of game birds reared for sport shooting. In addition, there is also the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Game Birds Reared for Sport Shooting, which provides guidance for rearers of such birds and what they need to do to meet the welfare needs of their livestock. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of game birds at a rearing establishment, they should report the matter to the local authority or the RSPCA.

Game Birds

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to conduct an assessment of the regulations concerning the breeding and rearing conditions of pheasants and partridges.

David Heath: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The welfare of breeding and rearing of gamebirds is provided under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which was reviewed in 2010. In addition, a separate Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes provides rearers of gamebirds with guidance on how to provide for the welfare of their livestock. The code is due to be reviewed in 2016.

Gun Sports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the findings of the League Against Cruel Sports set out in its documentary about the shooting industry entitled Gunsmoke and Mirrors.

Richard Benyon: We understand that there are those who oppose the shooting of game birds for sport. However, we consider that there is adequate legislation in place to protect the welfare of game birds reared for sport shooting. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of game birds at a rearing establishment, they should report the matter to the local authority or the RSPCA.

Health Insurance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department's (a) arm's length and (b) non-departmental public bodies are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Richard Benyon: There are no staff in DEFRA's executive agencies who are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.
	53 staff in the Sea Fish Industry Authority, one of DEFRA's non-departmental public bodies, are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Insects

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of trends in the populations of pollinating insects in the last five years.

David Heath: holding answer 6 September 2012
	In 2011, we published the UK National Ecosystem Assessment. This reviewed the available evidence on pollinator declines and concluded that since 1980 wild bee diversity had declined in most landscapes. Although there has been a decline in the number of managed honey bee colonies managed since the 1950's due to a number of factors, this trend has been reversed in recent years as more beekeepers have taken up the craft. There are now over 28,000 beekeepers managing approximately 137,000 colonies registered on the Food and Environment Research Agency's National Bee Unit's voluntary BeeBase register compared to 16,000 beekeepers managing 80,000 colonies in 2008. Hoverflies and butterflies have shown losses and gains. Drivers of the observed decline include disease, habitat loss and the use of some pesticides.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology support the Biological Records Centre. In addition to helping volunteer invertebrate recording schemes to record and publish distribution data, the Biological Records Centre is working with those voluntary groups to develop and test tools to assess pollinator trends across as wide a range of pollinating insects as possible, noting that over 30,000 species of insect and other invertebrates such as spiders play a role in pollination.
	Although not funded directly by DEFRA, the European Union funds research, including the STEPS project—Status and Trends of European Pollinators. This project runs until 2015 but is already producing a number of papers on the status of pollinators in Europe and the UK which are available on the project website.

Invertebrates

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of trends in the populations of (a) bees, (b) moths, (c) butterflies, (d) beetles, (e) upwing flies and (f) other invertebrates in the last five years.

David Heath: Between 2005 and 2007, a wide-ranging review of the status of species in the UK was undertaken to identify priorities for conservation. Selection of UK species for the priority list followed consideration by expert working groups against a set of selection criteria based on international importance, trends in the UK and risk or threat to remaining populations. This resulted in a priority list of 413 terrestrial invertebrates.
	Natural England is currently reassessing the status of groups of invertebrates in England, including bees, moths, butterflies, beetles and mayflies to identify those at greatest threat. It is expected that it will take three years to complete.
	Although there has been a decline in the number of managed honey bee colonies since the 1950s due to a number of factors, this trend has been reversed in recent years as more beekeepers have taken up the craft. There are now over 28,000 beekeepers managing approximately 137,000 colonies registered on the Food and Environment Research Agency's National Bee Unit's voluntary BeeBase register, compared to 16,000 beekeepers managing 80,000 colonies in 2008.
	Trends in butterfly populations are published annually in both the UK and England biodiversity indicators (and show declines on farmland and woodland habitats) and are available via the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme website. We have recently initiated a joint project with the voluntary sector—the Species Indicator Initiative —to assess and test options for broadening the scope of the indicator to include other insect groups such as moths.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology support the Biological Records Centre (BRC). The BRC works closely with volunteer recording schemes for various invertebrate groups to produce atlases on, for example, bees, flies, beetles and other invertebrates. In addition, volunteer schemes are encouraged to publish their data via the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway, allowing others to access data and assess trends.
	Finally, Rothamsted Research Station (funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)) works with Butterfly Conservation to publish information on moth trends as part of the Moths Count project, the information from which is widely available on the internet.

Licensing

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what permits and licences his Department and its public bodies issue to businesses.

Richard Benyon: The following table details the permits and licences issued to businesses by core DEFRA, its five Executive Agencies and other non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			 Issuing body License/Permit type Relevant legislation 
			 Core DEFRA Operation of restraining pens for religious slaughter of bovines Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (as amended) 
			    
			 Rural Payments Agency EU Export/Import licences Commission Regulation No. 376/2008 
			  Beef Classification Licence Commission Regulation 1249/2008 Article 8 
			  Welfare Movement Licence for Calves Under 27 days Old Cattle Identification Regulations 2007, Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007, and Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007 
			  Scientific Movement Licence for Calves Under 27 days Old Cattle Identification Regulations 2007, Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007, and Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007. 
			  Movement Licence Cattle Identification Regulations 2007, Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007, and Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007 
		
	
	
		
			  Cattle passports Cattle Identification Regulations 2007, Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007, and Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulation 2007 
			  AMLS1—Movement Document under the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement)(England) Order 2009 Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement)(England) Order 2009 and Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No.1/2005 
			    
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Authorisation of Aquaculture Productions Businesses (APBs) to farm aquatic animals The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 
			  Authorisation of APBs to trade and deal aquatic animals The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 
			  Authorisation of APBs to import live aquatic animals The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 
			  Authorisation of APBs' shellfish purification plans The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 
			  Authorisation of APBs to handle aquatic animals culled for disease control purposes The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 
			  Permits to keep controlled non-native aquatic animals in aquaculture The Alien Species in Aquaculture Regulations 2010 
			  Permits to keep controlled non-native aquatic animals in recreational fisheries (issued on behalf of the Environment Agency) The Import of Live Fish Act 1980 
			  Permits to wholesalers and retailers dealing in controlled non-native aquatic animals The Import of Live Fish Act 1980 
			    
			 Food and Environment Research Agency Licences to provide for the import and retention of plant pests and other material required for research purposes. Plant Health (England) Order 2005 
			  Licenses to persons or companies to carry out various functions under the Seeds Marketing Regulations 2011 as amended (2011/463), Including licenses for crop inspectors, seed samplers and seed testing stations to act under the regulations Seeds Marketing Regulations 2011 as amended (2011/463) 
			  Licences for the release of non-native biological control agents Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 
			  Movement licences in respect of honey, bees/beekeeping equipment Bee Diseases and Pest Control Order (England) 2006 
			    
			 Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency Licences, authorisations, approvals and certificates intended to control the introduction and spread of animal diseases to livestock keepers and other businesses dealing with animals and animal byproducts, and Animal Health Act 1981 Welfare of Animals Regulations 1995 The Zoonoses Order 1989 EC regulation No 1069/2009 
			  Export certificates in order to facilitate trade in animals and animal by-products including food Welfare of Animals during transport regulation EC 1/2005 
		
	
	
		
			  Wildlife licensing and registration service as the part of the UK CITES management authority responsible for dealing with CITES applications and issuing permits. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1975 (CITES) 
			    
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate Marketing Authorisation Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Animal Test Certificate Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Manufacturing Authorisation Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Manufacturing Extemporaneous Products (Specials) Authorisation (ManSA) Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Autogenous Vaccine Authorisations Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Non-Food Animal Blood Bank Authorisations Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Equine Stem Cell Centre Authorisations Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Wholesale Dealer's Authorisation Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			  Wholesale Dealer's Import Certificate (WDIC) Scheme Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, SI 2011 No. 2159 
			    
			 Environment Agency   
			 Permits Issued to Businesses Abstraction Licences the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1.975 
			  Impoundment Licences  
			  Herbicide Authorisations Control of Pesticide Regulations 2007 
			  Flood defence consents Land Drainage Act 1991, Water Resources Act 1991, Regional Flood defence byelaws) 
			  Works On Rivers  
			  Registration of Producers Registration of hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 
			  Registration of waste carriers, brokers and dealers Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 
			  Waste Operations (1)Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 (as amended) 
			  Mobile plant (1)— 
			  Mining waste (1)— 
			  Installations (1)— 
			  Radio Active Substances activity (1)— 
			  Water discharge activity (1)— 
			  Groundwater activity (1)— 
			  Simple Registrations (1)— 
			  Registration of producers and approval to be an accredited reprocessor or exporter Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 
			  Registration of producers and approval to be an Approved Battery Treatment Operator or Approved Battery Exporter The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 
		
	
	
		
			  Registration of producers and approval to be an approved authorised treatment facility or approved exporter The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 
			  Registration (of contaminated equipment) Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Regulations 2000 
			  Authorisation of a Derogation Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulations 2007 
			  Installation Permits (The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2005 
			  S30 Fish Introduction Consents (1)The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 
			  S27 Byelaw Fish Removals (1)— 
			  Fish pass approval (1)— 
			    
			 Permits issued mainly to individuals however may be issued to businesses Rod Licences (1)The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 
			  Eel Authorisations (1)— 
			  Elver Authorisations (1)— 
			  Salmon and Sea Trout Net Licences (1)— 
			  Crayfish Authorisations (1)— 
			    
			 Natural England Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSi) consent Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) 
			  Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Assents Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) 
			  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening decision Environmental impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006 
			  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Consent decision Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006 
			  Burning licence Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2007 
			  (1)Wildlife licences Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) 
			  (1)— Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 
			  (1)— Protection of Badgers Act 1991 
			  (1)— Deer Act 1991 
			  (1)— Destructive Imported Animals Act 1931 
			  (1)— Conservation of seals Act 1970 
			    
			 Gang masters Licensing Authority Licensing scheme to regulate the of supply of workers to the shellfish gathering, farming and food processing and packaging sectors Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 
			    
			 Marine Management Organisation Fishing vessel licences to owners that operate vessels to fish for profit Sea Fish Conservation Act 1967 
			  Registration of Buyers and Sellers: Issued to Buyers and Sellers of first sale fish in the UK Registration of Fish Buyers and designation of Auction Sites regulations 2005 
		
	
	
		
			  Wildlife licences to authorise what would otherwise be an offence under marine nature conservation Conservation of Seal Act 1970 and SI of 1999, Conservation of Habitats and species regulations 2010, Wildlife Countryside Act 1984 
			  Oil spill dispersants licences issued for oil spill treatment products Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 
			  Scientific research permits issued from the exemption of EU Technical Conservation regulations EC Council Regulation 850/98 
			  Marine Licences Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 
			  Consents: for energy generating facilities under 100 MW Electricity Act 1989 
			  Orders to either create or amend legislation governing harbour authorities Harbours Act 1964 
			    
			 Food Standards Agency Slaughterman licenses Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (as amended) 
			 (1) Indicates a brace.

Milk

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of liquid milk consumed in England was imported in the latest period for which figures are available; and from which countries it was imported.

David Heath: The figures available are for the UK only. In 2011, imports accounted for approximately 2% of the total supply of liquid drinking milk.
	For these imports, the following table shows the breakdown by country of dispatch.
	
		
			 Countries of dispatch for UK imports of liquid milk (2011) 
			 Country of dispatch Percentage of UK liquid milk imports 
			 Irish Republic 63 
			 Belgium 9 
			 France 8 
			 Denmark 6 
			 Spain 5 
			 Sweden 2 
			 Germany 2 
			 Netherlands 2 
			 Poland 1 
			 Lithuania <0.1 
			 Czech Republic <0.1 
			 Italy <0.1 
			 Portugal <0.1 
			 Romania <0.1 
			 UAE <0.1 
			 Latvia <0.1 
			 Slovakia <0.1 
			 Source: HMRC

Milk

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that contracts agreed between suppliers and purchasers of milk are fair; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: My predecessor, the right hon. Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Sir James Paice), had supported the development of the dairy industry's own Code of Best Practice on contractual relationships. I can confirm that on Friday 31 August that code was agreed by industry representatives. I firmly believe that this code is the best solution to the contractual problems within the industry and is a key step in improving the structure and balance of the supply chain for the benefit of all.

Pets: Sales

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the sale of (a) exotic animals and (b) endangered species; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA receives correspondence on a variety of exotic and endangered species. Correspondence received since 1 July 2012 has particularly focused on the trade in ivory and rhino horn.

Pets: Sales

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what legislation the sale of exotic pets is regulated; whether he plans to propose amendments to such legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Pet Animals Act 1951 (as amended in 1983) requires that any person selling pet animals must be licensed by their local authority. Before granting a licence, the authority must satisfy itself that the animals are kept in accommodation that is suitable and clean, that they are supplied with the appropriate food and drink, and are protected from disease and fire.
	In addition the UK Government is a party to the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK, and other EU member states, through directly applicable EU wildlife trade regulations. Those regulations require the retention of export and import permits for most species, and additional internal trade certificates for the most endangered species, if they are sold commercially. Import permits and internal trade certificates are issued by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
	In addition, a licence is required to buy, sell, advertise for sale or possess any wild species listed in Annex IV(a) of the European habitats directive.
	The welfare of all kept animals is protected under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for its welfare.
	We have no current plans to propose amendments to the legislation that regulates the sale of pets.

Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the development of a cross-Government progress report on Mainstreaming Sustainable Development to be complete.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA's business plan includes a commitment to publish a cross-Government progress report on mainstreaming sustainable development with the Minister of State for Government Policy by February 2013.

White Fish

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the review of the Cod Recovery Plan will be completed.

Richard Benyon: We expect to receive the Commission's proposals for revisions to the Cod Recovery Plan later this autumn. Any changes to the Plan will have to be agreed through co-decision with the European Parliament. We would expect that this would be completed by early 2013.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has considered to prevent the credit collateral requirements under electricity market reform becoming a barrier to new entrants to the energy retail market.

John Hayes: The Department continues to work to reduce barriers to entry and growth. In designing the policy for Electricity Market Reform (EMR), the Department is considering the impact elements of the policy will have on new and existing market players. More information on the credit and collateral arrangements for the EMR policies will be announced in the autumn alongside the Energy Bill.

Electricity

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has undertaken of the extent to which electricity market reform proposals will encourage greater vertical integration of energy wholesale and retail markets.

John Hayes: Wider participation and more diversity are key to a competitive market and securing the investment we need. Vertical integration can reduce the costs of capital and help to keep down costs to consumers. However, these large companies cannot alone deliver investment at the scale and pace that we need—one of the key aims of EMR is, therefore, to encourage new entrants and new sources of finance. The EMR mechanisms will reduce risks to investment, for example the support for low carbon generation (the Feed-in Tariff with Contracts for Difference) and Capacity Market will reduce price risk and provide a more stable revenue stream, supporting investment from a wide range of sources. The Government are also considering the issue of how independent generators sell their power and in July issued a Call For Evidence, which has now closed. The Government are now considering the responses received and will act where necessary to tackle any structural barriers to market entry that are not addressed through the actions taken by Ofgem.

Electricity

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the UK's electricity production is serviceable by interconnectors.

John Hayes: The UK has 89GW of electricity generation capacity. The total capacity that can flow over interconnectors between GB, North West Europe and the island of Ireland is currently 3.5GW. This will rise to 4GW after the 500MW interconnector with Ireland is opened on 20 September.

Electricity

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of (a) the volume of electricity traded in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012, (b) electricity generation volume in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012 and (c) churn ratio in those years.

John Hayes: UK electricity generation was approximately 347.5 TWh in 2011 and 99.6 TWh in the first quarter of 2012 . Ofgem's reported churn indicators for the GB electricity market were 3.1 in 2011 and 2.9 in the first half of 2012 (estimates have been used for May and June 2012). DECC does not hold complete data on traded volumes. However, data are publically available from certain sources, e.g.
	LEBA
	http://www.leba.org.uk/pages/index.cfm?page_id =59&title=leba_data_notifications
	N2EX
	http://www.n2ex.com/marketdata/reports/
	APX
	http://www.apxendex.com/index.php?id=466

Electricity: Business

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized businesses that connected to the National Grid in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in 2011.

John Hayes: DECC has made no estimate of the number of small and medium-sized businesses connecting to the grid. Chapter 6 of Ofgem's Electricity Distribution Annual Report 2010-11 contains information on connections to the lower voltage distribution network:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx? docid=702&refer-Networks/ElecDist/PriceCntrls/DPCR5
	and National Grid publishes information on the (mostly large) generation projects connecting to the high voltage transmission network:
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Codes/systemcode/tectrading/
	These do not specifically identify small and medium-sized businesses.

Electricity: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to improve the local distribution and high voltage transmission networks on Merseyside.

John Hayes: holding answer 7 September 2012
	Significant investment is under way or planned for GB's regional distribution and national high voltage transmission networks, including on Merseyside. The operation and reinforcement of these networks is the responsibility of network companies, regulated by Ofgem, the independent regulator.
	Scottish Power Energy Networks are responsible for the distribution network which covers Merseyside, and Ofgem approved an investment allowance of up to £547 million for that area for the period 2010 to 2015.
	National Grid are responsible for the transmission network in England and Wales. Ofgem published Initial Proposals for National Grid in July which would see around £11.6 billion of investment for the 2013-21 period. Details of National Grid's major projects, including a new 2.2 GW high voltage line through the Wirral, are available at:
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/MajorProjects
	Ofgem plans to publish their Final Proposals in December.

Electricity: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Ofgem on the level of electricity prices in Merseyside; and if he will make a statement. [Official Report, 18 October 2012, Vol. 551, c. 3-4MC.]

John Hayes: holding answer 7 September 2012
	DECC Ministers and officials meet with Ofgem on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues. Electricity and gas pricing for household consumers is a commercial matter for the companies, concerned and is regulated by Ofgem.
	In 2011, the average bills for domestic electricity customers living in Merseyside who consumed the standard consumption of 3,300 k Wh per annum were:
	£493 for pre-payment, £502 for standard credit and £452 direct debit (DECC Quarterly Energy Prices Publication June 2012, table 2.2.3).

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of energy consumers who pay for their domestic energy supplies by (a) direct debit, (b) standard credit and (c) pre-payment meter.

John Hayes: DECC estimates of the number of customers for each fuel by payment method in 2012 quarter one are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Direct debit Standard credit Pre-payment meters 
			  No. (million) % No (million) % No. (million) % 
			 Standard electricity 12.4 54 7.0 30 3.6 16 
		
	
	
		
			 Economy 7 electricity 1.9 50 1.2 30 0.8 20 
			 Gas 12.1 56 6.7 31 3.0 14 
		
	
	Data on payment methods are published quarterly in tables 2.4.2, 2.4.3 and 2.5.2 in Quarterly Energy Prices, available in the House of Commons Library and online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/prices/prices.aspx
	Data for 2012 quarter two will be published on 27 September.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the (a) regional and (b) national Herfindahl-Hirschman indices for the (i) electricity and (ii) gas supply market.

John Hayes: Ofgem's reported Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) was 1,766 for the national electricity supply market and 2,560 for the gas supply market in July 2011. The regional HHI have not been calculated.
	The Government continue to work with Ofgem to improve competition in the gas and electricity markets. The Government have cut red tape to help small suppliers to compete on a more equal footing with large suppliers. We welcome the objectives of Ofgem's retail market review to boost liquidity in the wholesale electricity market and to simplify tariffs and bills.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made an estimate of the regional market share of each of the big six energy suppliers in each region.

John Hayes: DECC does not hold the information requested. Ofgem produced information about market share as part of its review of the retail market (published in March 2011):
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/Documents1/RMR_Appendices.pdf
	The following tables show the market share of the largest electricity and dual fuel supplier in August 2010 in each of the former electricity regions.
	
		
			 Electricity only 
			 Region Largest supplier Market share (%) 
			 Eastern (East Anglia) E.ON 68 
			 East Midlands E.ON 69 
			 London EDF 74 
			 Manweb (North Wales) Scottish Power 73 
			 Midlands (West Midlands) Npower 65 
			 Northern (North East) Npower 64 
			 Norweb (North West — — 
			 Scottish Hydro (Northern Scotland) Scottish and Southern 85 
			 Scottish Power (Southern Scotland) Scottish Power 82 
			 Seeboard (South East) EDF 73 
			 Southern Scottish and Southern 80 
			 Swalec (South Wales) Scottish and Southern 82 
			 SWEB (South West) EDF 71 
			 Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humberside) Npower 65 
		
	
	
		
			 Dual fuel 
			 Region Largest supplier Market share (%) 
			 Eastern (East Anglia) British Gas 35 
			 East Midlands British Gas 33 
			 London British Gas 40 
			 Manweb (North Wales) British Gas 38 
			 Midlands (West Midlands) British Gas 38 
			 Northern (North East) British Gas 30 
			 Norweb (North West British Gas 40 
			 Scottish Hydro (Northern Scotland) Scottish and Southern 47 
			 Scottish Power (Southern Scotland) British Gas 34 
			 Seeboard (South East) British Gas 28 
			 Southern Scottish and Southern 38 
			 Swalec (South Wales) Scottish and Southern 57 
			 SWEB (South West) British Gas 33 
			 Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humberside) British Gas 37

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of domestic energy transfers that were blocked by energy suppliers because of consumer debt in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: DECC does not hold the information requested.
	Ofgem is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply, including the rules that govern switching energy supplier.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effects of Ofgem's supply licence review, 2005-2007, on the protection of consumers in the energy market.

John Hayes: Licences are a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator of the gas and electricity markets and it is for Ofgem to consider the effectiveness of its review.
	Since the supply licence review of 2005-07 Ofgem has carried out its Energy Supply Probe in 2008 and more recently is investigating the effectiveness of the Retail Energy Market in its Retail Market Review (RMR).
	As a result of the Energy Supply Probe Ofgem introduced new rules to help protect consumers and help the retail energy markets function more effectively.
	As part of the RMR Ofgem is due to publish further proposals for reform, including additional consumer protection measures, before winter.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of online energy customers.

John Hayes: DECC estimates for the number of online domestic energy customers in 2011 are as follows:
	
		
			  Number Percentage 
			 Standard electricity 2,441,000 (1)10.7 
			 Economy 7 electricity 332,000 8.6 
			 Gas 2,380,000 10.8 
			 (1) Percentage of standard electricity customers

Energy Bill

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change under what timetable he expects to achieve state aid clearance for (a) contracts for difference and (b) investment instruments; and how this timetable will affect the timetable for the passage of the Energy Bill in 2012 and subsequent secondary legislation.

John Hayes: We are working closely with European Commission officials regarding our proposals. In common with other policy areas, these discussions cover whether or not state aid may be present and, if there is state aid, whether it is approvable under the treaty. Once the Government make a formal notification of their arrangements, we expect the Commission to make a decision as soon as possible, consistent with the proper exercise of its responsibilities. We do not anticipate there being any impact on the timetable for the passage of the Energy Bill or secondary legislation.

Energy Supply

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to maintain energy security and resilience.

John Hayes: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Government has a wide range of policies to maintain energy security and resilience, based on effective market arrangements combined with robust regulation.
	For example, in order to ensure security of electricity supply, the Government has said it will legislate for a ‘Capacity Market' to ensure the UK can meet electricity demand at all times.
	To ensure gas security, Ofgem are currently carrying out their "Significant Code Review" of gas emergency arrangements, and DECC has asked Ofgem to study the case for further interventions in the gas market to ensure gas security.
	To help ensure energy resilience, the UK has robust plans and arrangements in place to reduce and mitigate against risks, such as natural hazards, accidents or threats, and to respond and recover from disruptive events should they occur, including through the use of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel and the National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity depending on the sector affected.
	The Government plan to publish an Energy Security Strategy in the autumn setting out these issues in more detail.

Energy: Conservation

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress his Department has made towards the Government's target to achieve £5.5 billion in domestic energy efficiency schemes between 2008 and the end of this year.

Gregory Barker: Around £5.5 billion is the estimated cost to suppliers of delivering the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) over the period 2008-12. The target itself is set in output rather than money terms.
	Ofgem report that as of March 2012 suppliers had collectively achieved 83% of their overall CERT target and that CERT had helped insulate 2.1 million cavities and three million lofts (excluding DIY) since 2008.

Energy: Iceland

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of an energy interconnector with Iceland;
	(2)  whether his Department has made an assessment of the relative benefits for the UK of an energy interconnector between (a) Iceland and England and (b) Iceland and Scotland.

John Hayes: holding answer 5 September 2012
	My predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry), signed a memorandum of understanding with the Icelandic Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism on co-operation in the energy sector on 30 May 2012. In this the two ministries agreed, inter alia, to explore the possibility of developing an electricity interconnection between Iceland and the UK. The viability of such a project is being considered by commercial parties. No assessment has as yet been made of issues such as routing of the line and potential overall benefits to the UK and Iceland.

Energy: Meters

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the content of smart metering information packs; and if he will consider including basic electrical safety advice to consumers as part of the packs.

John Hayes: Suppliers will be required to establish an Installation Code of Practice. Among other things, they will be required to give customers complete and accurate information about smart metering, including how the smart meter can be used to improve energy efficiency. Suppliers will determine the content of any written information that is given to customers.
	The industry is actively considering how best to establish arrangements in respect of electrical safety advice for the installation visit.

Energy: Meters

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether smart meters installed in a domestic setting will record both gas and electricity consumption if the consumer is not a dual fuel customer;
	(2)  how many smart meters will be installed for a domestic consumer who is not a dual fuel customer.

John Hayes: Separate gas and electricity smart meters will be installed to replace existing meters and the respective energy supplier for each fuel will be responsible for arranging installation. This applies regardless as to whether or not the customer is a dual fuel customer with supply from one energy company, or receives their gas and electricity from different energy companies. All smart meters will be. capable of recording energy consumption information.
	At installation, an In Home Display (IHD) will also be offered to the customer and will be capable of showing real time and historical energy usage communicated by the smart meter. Technical specifications for the smart meters and IHD's are still being finalised but the aim is that, where smart meters are supplied by two different energy suppliers, a single IHD will be compatible with both.

Energy: Storage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to improve energy storage in the UK.

John Hayes: The Government are taking a range of actions to improve energy storage.
	Gas
	Ofgem are currently consulting on proposals to sharpen the incentives on gas shippers to prepare for low probability/high impact events. Their proposals, which could be implemented in time for winter 2013-14 through use of the new powers they gained through the Energy Act 2011, should help underpin commercial demand for a range of gas supply infrastructure, including storage.
	Electricity
	DECC has identified storage as one of the specific technology areas which should be supported with energy innovation funding—from the approximately £200 million allocated for the Department to support low-carbon technologies over the four financial years from April 2011.
	DECC expects to launch a scheme to support energy storage innovation soon.
	Oil
	As a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and EU, the UK holds emergency stocks of crude oil and petroleum products that can be released to market in the event of short-term oil supply disruptions. The EU currently requires the UK to hold 67.5 days of annual daily inland consumption.
	Heat
	DECC has launched an innovation competition to assess the performance of advanced thermal, storage, which can be integrated with heat technologies as an effective means to mitigate potential strain on the electricity grid in scenarios of increasing loads from low carbon heat technologies (such as heat pumps). DECC is currently reviewing the applications.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to publish a statutory strategy and policy statement on responsibilities and context for Ofgem's independent regulatory role.

John Hayes: The Government have committed to clarifying and strengthening the alignment between energy policy and regulation through a new statutory strategy and policy statement. The draft energy Bill contains powers to designate a statutory strategy and policy statement; provisions setting out the matters the statement must contain; the duties on Ofgem and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in relation to the statement; and the process to be followed in designating it.
	The energy Bill is being prepared for introduction in the autumn, subject to parliamentary time. Following Royal Assent, a two-stage consultation on the draft statement will be required, followed by parliamentary approval and designation.

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2012, Official Report, columns 434-36, on energy efficiency, where support for the Green Deal from the Green Investment Bank will be targeted.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	As already announced, support for the Green Deal is one of the five priority sectors for investment by the UK Green Investment Bank (UKGIB). UK Green Investments, the forerunner to the UKGIB, is currently exploring proposals to support the financing of the Green Deal, including the Green Deal Finance Company. All investments by UK Green Investments or the UKGIB will need to be compatible with the principle of sound finances, whereby capital will be deployed as a responsible investor and risks managed to achieve positive portfolio returns. Any individual investment or financial commitment by UK Green Investments or the UKGIB will be limited to £300 million.

National Grid

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will request National Grid to expand the UK's interconnector programme.

John Hayes: There is not currently a UK interconnector programme. Interconnection is a commercially-driven market with a number of different companies involved. We committed in our recent publication ‘Electricity System: Assessment of Future Challenges' to further develop the evidence base on the impact on Britain of different interconnection scenarios. This should assist the market as it develops future interconnection proposals.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the value is of his contract with KPMG to advise on the talks with EDF Energy and Centrica on new nuclear power plants.

John Hayes: DECC's contract with KPMG for this advice does not specify a fixed sum in advance but sets the daily rates for each grade of consultant that DECC can access. These rates are commercially confidential. As with other contracts, total payments to KPMG will form part of the regular financial disclosure by HM Government through the No. 10 Transparency website
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/transparency/how-your-money-is-spent

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what submissions he has received from prospective investors in new nuclear power generation on increasing the legal robustness of contracts for difference.

John Hayes: The Department has had regular engagement with a variety of prospective investors in low carbon electricity generation, including new nuclear, on its proposals for reforms to the electricity market. As part of this engagement prospective investors have expressed views on the legal robustness of contracts for difference.

Radioactive Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of options for community involvement in the process of deciding on the location of a geological disposal facility for intermediate and high-activity radioactive waste; and if he will give consideration to involving communities other than the nominated prospective host communities, in cases where they have a relevant local interest such as being sited on proposed transport routes.

John Hayes: In March 2012, following a public consultation, the Department of Energy and Climate Change published a Framework for the desk-based identification and assessment of potential candidate sites for geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. This includes flexible provisions for engagement, with details to be agreed by local stakeholders in volunteer communities.
	The consultation material, and Framework document, are available on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/mrws_siting/mrws_siting.aspx

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2012, Official Report, columns 432-3, on renewables obligation, what the evidential basis is for his statement that 20,000 jobs have been created in renewables in the last year.

Gregory Barker: This figure is based on publically available information from sources such as trade press collected by the Department in the 2011-12 financial year period. It also incorporates responses from developers and supply chain companies following an invitation for companies to share information of investments, contracts awarded and jobs created. It is therefore not a definitive list of the renewables market activity for this period, but indicates the continuing realisation of growth and investment opportunities in the UK renewables sector.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total new build of renewable capacity was in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

Gregory Barker: DECC's Restats database holds data on the status of large-scale renewable electricity generation projects. The completion date is not captured so it is not possible to tell which projects were completed in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011, however the date on which generation commenced is recorded.
	A progress datasheet for July 2012 (the latest data available) can be accessed at
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/datasheet

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department's UK Renewable Energy Roadmap, July 2011, what estimate his Department has made of (a) capacity in operation, (b) electricity generated in the most recent year for which figures are available, (c) the central range of deployment by 2020 and (d) capacity in the existing pipeline for (i) hydro power, (ii) geothermal power and (iii) solar power.

Gregory Barker: The following table shows (a) the installed capacity and (b) electricity generated in 2011 from (i) hydropower and (iii) solar power.
	
		
			  Installed capacity (MW) Electricity generated (GWh) 
			 Hydro small-scale 205 697 
			 Hydro large-scale 1,471 4,989 
			 Solar photovoltaics 976 252 
			 Source: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2012, table 6.4.(1) 
		
	
	The Renewable Energy Roadmap sets out central ranges for deployment (c) of eight key technologies by 2020. The eight technologies have been identified as those most likely to help meet our 2020 renewable energy target or which could make a major contribution in the decades that follow.
	Hydropower, geothermal and solar power were not included in the eight key technologies. However, we estimated in the Renewables Roadmap that “other technologies” (including hydro, geothermal, solar and domestic heat) could provide a total of up to 14TWh of generation in 2020 under our central range.
	The following table shows (d) capacity in the existing pipeline for (i) hydropower and (iii) solar power.
	
		
			  Capacity in the pipeline (MW) 
			 RO Hydro 147.4 
			 Large-scale hydro 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Photovoltaics 499.2 
			 Source: DECC's Restats database, Reporting Data Sheet for July 2012.(2) 
		
	
	The information for deep geothermal (ii) is as follows:
	(a) There is no power generating capacity at present.
	(b) No electricity was generated in 2011.
	(c) Using data from the ARUP report for the Renewables Obligation Banding Review(3), the medium scenario estimated approximately 100MW by 2020.
	(d) There are two deep geothermal power projects in Cornwall which have both been granted planning permission. Their combined total installed capacity is estimated to be around 14MWe.
	(1 )http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/renewables/renewables.aspx
	(2) https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/datasheet
	(3) http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 3.126 of his Department's UK Renewable Energy Roadmap, July 2011, what the planning approval rate was for electricity from waste projects in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: The tables set out data from the Renewable Energy Planning Database(1) which show approval rates from municipal and industrial waste projects in the last five years. Table 1 is based on the number of projects, and Table 2 shows the total capacity of projects.
	(1) https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database
	Applications and approvals relate to year of original determination.
	
		
			 Table 1: Approval rates of energy from waste projects 
			  Number of applications determined Of which number of applications approved % approval 
			 2011 24 18 75 
			 2010 8 6 75 
			 2009 13 11 85 
			 2008 6 5 83 
			 2007 5 5 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Approval rates of energy from waste installed capacity 
			  MW of applications determined Of which MW of applications approved % approval 
			 2011 461 371 80 
			 2010 109 96 88 
			 2009 316 283 90 
			 2008 132 125 95 
			 2007 88 88 100

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department's UK Renewable Energy Roadmap, July 2011, figure 2, for what reason there is no individual central view of deployment in 2020 for (a) hydro power, (b) geothermal power and (c) solar power.

Gregory Barker: The Renewable Energy Roadmap, published in July 2011, gave detailed deployment projections for those technologies which were viewed at the time as most important to delivery of our commitments under the renewable energy directive. That decision was based on cost-effectiveness and expected levels of deployment in the UK to 2020 and beyond.

Renewable Energy

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by renewable electricity generation in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in 2011.

John Hayes: The following table shows the estimated amount of carbon dioxide displaced by renewable electricity generation in England, Scotland, Wales and the UK in 2011.
	
		
			  CO2 displaced by electricity generated from renewable energy projects (thousand tonnes) 
			 England 10,634 
			 Scotland 8,364 
			 Wales 1,344 
			 UK 20,955 
		
	
	These figures were calculated using the total amount of electricity generated by renewable projects in each country in 2011 multiplied by an estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per GWh of electricity supplied for a combination of fossil fuels (which is based on the known fossil fuel mix for electricity generation in the UK in 2011).

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Oral Statement of 24 May 2012, Official Report, columns 1303-7, on the feed-in tariffs scheme, 
	(1)  what his Department's central projection is of the deployment of solar PV by 2020;
	(2)  what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Government expects to deliver 22GW of solar capacity by 2020.

Gregory Barker: The information on the Department's central projections and its evidential basis for the deployment of solar PV to 2020 can be found in the Impact Assessment for the Government's response to the Feed in Tariff Phase 2a Consultation at the following link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fits_rev_ph2a/fits_rev_ph2a.aspx

Warm Home Discount Scheme: North Yorkshire

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people he estimates will receive the Warm Homes Discount in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency and (b) North Yorkshire in 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: Around two million low income and vulnerable households will benefit each year as a result of the warm home discount scheme. This is expected to include over one million of the poorest pensioners receiving a £130 discount on their electricity bills in 2012-13. Regional or constituency breakdowns for the data are not available.

Wind Power

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the government of Denmark on the economics of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind farms.

John Hayes: None, given my recent arrival as Minister of State for Energy. However I am keen to understand the experience of wind and wider energy development in other countries and their perspectives on the UK market. I look forward to meeting Ministers and investors from Denmark and many other countries.

DEFENCE

AgustaWestland: Vector Aerospace

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 714W, on AgustaWestland, when officials in his Department were first notified of AgustaWestland's intent not to renew Vector Aerospace's sub-contracts for support for Lynx and Sea King helicopters.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 5 September 2012
	Ministry of Defence officials were first briefed that AgustaWestland did not intend to renew Vector Aerospace's sub-contracts for Sea King and Lynx component repair during a routine meeting on 30 September 2011. Discussions were subsequently held to better understand this intent and to secure assurances regarding ongoing affordability and contract performance.

Air Misses

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what near miss incidents involving military aircraft and (a) UK nuclear installations and (b) critical national infrastructure were reported to his Department in each year since May 2004; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on each such incident.

Andrew Robathan: We do not hold information in the form requested.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether heat-induced cerebral dysrhythmia is a condition eligible for compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Mark Francois: Yes.

Armed Forces: Education

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all Army recruits are required to undertake basic literacy and numeracy tests regardless of their entry level and location.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	As part of a range of tests to determine their suitability, all Army applicants undergo an initial assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills, including English speaking and listening skills, during the selection process. This is irrespective of their entry level, location and any qualifications they currently hold.

Armed Forces: Officers

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) infantry, (b) cavalry, (c) artillery, (d) engineer and (e) special forces officers have left the army within two years of commanding their regiments since 2007.

Mark Francois: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department made of the socio-economic groups from which entrants to each rank in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy are drawn; and if he will publish available data on this matter.

Mark Francois: The socio-economic background of new entrants to the armed forces is not recorded by any of the services. The data are, therefore, not held.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Scottish Qualification Authority qualifications are recognised as equivalent to English qualifications in the Army recruitment process.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	Scottish educational qualifications are fully recognised as equivalent to English qualifications in the Army recruitment process.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what resources are available to members of the armed forces who are made redundant to assist them in finding new employment; and what plans he has for the future level of those resources.

Mark Francois: All those made redundant will qualify for the level of resettlement assistance associated with their length of service, and the engagement they could have expected to complete had they not been made redundant. This assistance is specifically designed to assist in finding new employment. The majority of those made redundant will qualify for the Full Resettlement Programme which comprises:
	a three-day Career Transition Workshop;
	the use of a career consultant;
	access to a job finding service;
	up to 35 days retraining time;
	funding of up to £6,534;
	access to a wide range of accredited vocational training courses and workshops;
	resettlement support up to two years after leaving.
	There are no plans to reduce this programme of support in the future.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been paid in redundancy compensation to those made redundant (a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily in (i) Tranche 1, (ii) Tranche 2 and (iii) Tranche 3 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme in each of the services.

Mark Francois: The Armed Forces Redundancy Programme is ongoing and the total costs in respect of redundancy compensation payments will not be known for some time. However, the costs in respect of tranche 1, representing 2,835 personnel, amount to some £102 million.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many recruits to the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force were aged 16 at enlistment, for each of the last 10 financial years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many new recruits to the infantry were aged 16 at enlistment, for each of the last 10 financial years for which figures are available.

Mark Francois: The number of recruits to the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, aged 16 at enlistment for each of the last 10 financial years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year All services Naval service Army RAF 
			 2002-03 4,430 585 3,600 245 
			 2003-04 3,895 405 3,225 265 
			 2004-05 2,880 330 2,470 85 
			 2005-06 2,760 305 2,445 10 
			 2006-07 2,280 250 2,005 20 
			 2007-08 2,575 280 2,200 95 
			 2008-09 2,495 315 1,980 200 
			 2009-10 2,010 155 1,795 60 
			 2010-11 1,465 55 1,395 15 
			 2011-12 1,495 10 1,475 10 
			 Note: All numbers are rounded to the nearest five. Due to the rounding methods used totals may not equal the sum of the parts. 
		
	
	The number of recruits to the infantry aged 16 at enlistment for each of the last five years (for which figures are available) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year of intake Number of 16 year olds joining the Infantry 
			 2007-08 740 
			 2008-09 760 
			 2009-10 (1)650 
			 2010-11 (1)600 
			 2011-12 (1)590 
			 (1) Provisional figures which could be subject to review. 
		
	
	Due to the ongoing validation of the Joint Personnel Administration System all Army data from 1 May 2009 are provisional and subject to review. Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
	Information for years previous to 2007-08 is not held centrally in the format requested.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel under the age of 18 form part of the trained strength of each service.

Mark Francois: The position as at 1 July 2012 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Service Total 
			 Royal Navy — 
			 Army 140 
			 Royal Air Force 10 
			 '—' Denotes zero or rounded to zero. Note: Data have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Belize

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many years his Department leased helicopters for use in Belize; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of such leases.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence leased helicopters in support operations at the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) for eight years (between 2003 and 2011) at a cost of some £24 million (excluding VAT).

Defence Equipment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 512W, on defence equipment, if he will publish a list of his Department's initiatives aimed at better understanding the risks of fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) participates fully in the Cabinet Office agenda to tackle fraud. The MOD is currently establishing a new counter fraud post at senior civil service level to take forward recommendations to make the MOD a more joined-up organisation for assessing and managing the risks of fraud.

ELINT

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian employees of his Department are involved in the analysis of ELINT data; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: Electronic intelligence (ELINT) is used within the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces for a variety of purposes. We do not hold any central record of the number of civilian personnel involved in its analysis, as it may be a significant or minor part of their job.

France

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on Franco-British defence co-operation; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The three strands of defence co-operation with France set out in the Lancaster House treaties of 2010 remain on track and we continue to work closely with the French Government and armed forces at all levels.
	Our military to military links are being reinforced by the arrival of additional exchange officers in France and their counterparts in the UK. Exercise Corsican Lion in October 2012 will be a major naval exercise that will demonstrate the combined power of both nations' armed forces and help to enhance interoperability.
	In July we signed two agreements with France to enable co-operation on Unmanned Air Systems (drones). Other areas of equipment co-operation include missiles, maritime mine countermeasures, A400M transport aircraft support, satellite communications, and submarine technologies.
	We continue to make progress on the second treaty relating to collaboration on hydro-dynamics research. The planned Teutates Technology Development Centre, is to be built at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, and the Teutates Epure facility, is to be built in Valduc, France. These have now moved from the concept phase to the assessment phase with "initial gate" approval. We expect they will be operational from 2015.

G4S

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts his Department has held with G4S in each of the last five years; and what the (a) purpose, (b) monetary value and (c) location of stationed guards for each such contract was.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has held 18 contracts with G4S over the last five years, of which seven remain current. Details are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Contract number Contract title Start date End date Contract value (£) 
			 DCSALA1/1954 Flexible working hours system upgrade 1 July 2007 31 March 2008 431 
			 STRATSYS/0097 Installation 4 July 2007 30 November 2007 39,227 
			 CTLBC/356 Provision of site protection services at Saxa Vord 31 July 2007 31 October 2007 6,454 
			 LAND/AIO/5261 Provision of demonstration troops, population and opposition forces in support of pre-deployment training 21 September 2007 31 March 2012 29,969,557 
			 CTLBC/413 Provision of site protection services at Saxa Vord 1 November 2007 17 December 2010 92,079 
			 FLEET/OPS/0142 Operational training for RN personnel due to deploy 19 November 2008 31 October 2009 120,000 
			 CTLBC/695/3 Provision of security guarding framework agreement 26 January 2009 25 January 2013 1,000,000 
			 CS4D/1245C Army UK guarding enabling arrangement 16 February 2009 15 February 2013 1,470,253 
			 CS4D/1326 Cash conveyance at Army Training Centres Pirbright and Winchester 31 March 2009 30 April 2014 19,104 
			 RM464C/16/G4S Buying Solutions framework—learning and development and e-learning solutions—management and leadership 1 July 2009 31 March 2010 209,000 
			 CTLBC/1084 Provision of two trained HOLMES 2 Operatives for the MOD Police and Guarding Agency 10 July 2009 15 January 2010 56,756 
			 CTLBC/1263 Provision of three trained HOLMES 2 Operatives for the MOD Police and Guarding Agency 20 January 2010 20 July 2010 62,079 
			 CTLBC/1091 Administration service for the Armed Forces Enhanced Learning Scheme 10 Mar 10 31 March 2014 1,312,718 
			 HQLF1/94 Provision of casualty simulation 31 August 2010 31 March 2012 709,080 
			 HQLF2/1826 Civilian Investigator Support to Iraq Historic Allegations Team 19 October 2010 31 October 2012 3,304,342 
			 CTLBC/1847 Provision of site protection services at Shepherds Grove 22 December 2011 31 March 2012 38,812 
			 HQLF2/1850 Provision of civilian investigator support to the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch (UK) 24 January 2012 31 March 2013 2,032,154 
			 ACT/03973 Provision of trauma casualty amputees in support of RAF pre-deployment training 6 July 2012 31 March 2014 74,339 
		
	
	Only five of these contracts involved the provision of guarding services, the locations of which are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Contract number Contract title Guarding locations 
			 CTLBC/356 Provision of site protection services at Saxa Vord RAF Saxa Vord 
			 CTLBC/413 Provision of site protection services at Saxa Vord RAF Saxa Vord 
			 CTLBC/695/3 Provision of security guarding framework agreement—but not in use St George's Court 
			   London School of Army Aviation, Middle Wallop 
			   Defence School of Languages, Beaconsfield 
			   Defence Academy, Shrivenham 
			   Didcot, Oxfordshire 
			 CS4D/1245C Army UK guarding enabling arrangement—but not in use St George's and St David's Barracks, Bicester 
			   Combermere Barracks, Windsor 
			   Penhale Camp, Newquay 
			   Fremmington Camp, Devon 
			   St Omer Barracks, Aldershot 
			   Invicta Park Barracks, Maidstone 
			   Victoria Barracks, Windsor 
			   Clive Barracks, Market Drayton 
			 CTLBC/1847 Provision of site protection services at Shepherds Grove RAF Shepherds Grove 
		
	
	CTLBC/695/3 and CS4D/1245C are framework arrangements that have the potential to let tasking at other sites across the UK during the life of the contracts.

G4S

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts at the Colchester Garrison have been awarded to G4S.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts database lists no contracts that have been awarded to G4S for activities undertaken at Colchester Garrison within the last 10 years.

HMS Victory

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of artefacts found at the site of HMS Victory 1744.

Andrew Robathan: We have no reason to change the assessment made by Wessex Archaeology in 2009 that it is unlikely that bullion or other cultural assets of monetary value, with the exception of cannon, exist at the site. We have made no estimate of their potential value.

HMS Victory

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether Ministers in his Department sought advice from marine archaeologists on Marine Heritage Foundation's involvement with the site of HMS Victory 1744;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on the de-accession of historic naval and military artefacts; and what assessment he has made of whether Odyssey Marine Exploration's policy on de-accessioning artefacts from the site of HMS Victory 1744 is in conformity with his Department's policy;
	(3)  what due diligence his Department conducted in respect of Marine Heritage Foundation's involvement with the site of HMS Victory 1744;
	(4)  what due diligence his Department conducted on Marine Heritage Foundation's involvement with the site of HMS Victory 1744;
	(5)  what plans there are for the future of the site of HMS Victory 1744;
	(6)  what recent representations he has had on the work being conducted on the site of HMS Victory 1744.

Mark Francois: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Astor of Hever, in the other place on 22 May 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA49.
	The Government is currently considering a proposal by the Foundation for work on the wreck site, informed by a recommendation by the Advisory Group. In addition, we have received representations from a wide range of interested parties. I hope to be able to announce the Government's decision shortly.

HMS Victory

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what commercial relationship his Department has with Odyssey Marine Exploration in respect of the site of HMS Victory 1744.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	The Ministry of Defence has no commercial relationship with Odyssey Marine Exploration in respect of the site of Victory 1744.
	Any physical activity undertaken on the site will require the prior consent of the Secretary of State.

HMS Victory

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a departmental minute was required in relation to the custodianship of the wreck HMS Victory 1744.

Mark Francois: No.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had meetings with members of the Israeli Government in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Israel is an important strategic partner of the UK and, as part of that relationship, the Ministry of Defence has an ongoing and wide ranging dialogue with the Israeli Defence Force and Israeli Ministry of Defence. This engagement is in line with Her Majesty's Government, policy of supporting the middle east peace process by having a balanced relationship with the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US administration on UK involvement in the testing of mission systems for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US administration on access to data recorded from mission systems of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter during flight to allow post-flight analysis; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2012, Official Report, column 202W, on military aircraft, what level of autonomy the UK will have over the operation of mission systems for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: As the only Tier 1 partner who has invested $2 billion in the Lightening II development, the UK is involved in the design and development of the F35 aircraft, including its mission systems. We have ensured that the design and integration of the aircraft's mission systems meets our requirements. The UK has been directly involved with the aircraft development flight test programme and has access to data generated by the aircraft's mission systems for post flight analysis. When the aircraft enters UK service we will have full autonomy over the operation of the mission systems.

Navy

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the Royal Navy has in international (a) counter-narcotics and (b) anti-piracy operations.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 7 September 2012
	The Royal Navy (RN) assists a wider defence support to Her Majesty's Government counter-narcotics efforts. The RN has previously engaged in counter-narcotics operations, often alongside international partners, in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Indian oceans and will engage according to the appropriate conventions where there is a clear legal basis to do so.
	The Royal Navy, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), plays a significant role in international counter-piracy operations. The EU's Operation Atalanta headquarters is based at Northwood, London and its operational commander is British.
	The UK also provides the 1* commander and a ship to the US-led Combined Maritime Force (CMF), which conducts counter piracy operations as part of its maritime security role. The Royal Navy also provides naval assets where possible to deter and disrupt pirates at sea. In January this year, RFA Fort Victoria interdicted 14 suspected pirates, who have been successfully prosecuted in the Seychelles.

Radar

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has any plans to (a) organise and (b) be involved in trials to assess the potential effects of wind turbines under 15 metres in height on military radar; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of industry on the potential effects of wind turbines under 15 metres in height on military radar; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) US and (b) French counterparts on the potential effects of wind turbines under 15 metres in height on military radar; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire of 14 March 2012, Official Report, column 328W, on radar: wind power, whether the trial scheduled for July 2012 in relation to interference caused by wind turbines will assess the difference between turbines above and below 15 metres in height; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no current plans to organise any trials to assess the potential effects of wind turbines under 15 metres.
	Wind farm developers are responsible for mitigating the effects of interference caused by wind farm turbines to military radars. These discussions have not specifically focused on wind turbines under 15 metres in height.
	A number of trials of various potential wind turbine mitigation solutions is being conducted by industry, and the MOD continues to monitor their progress.
	The MOD has not had discussions with its US and French counterparts on the potential effects of wind turbines under 15 metres in height on military radar.
	The trial scheduled at the Remote Radar Head Trimingham for July was delayed due to insufficient wind turbines being constructed at the offshore wind farm. The trials have been rescheduled for later in the year.

Royal Army Medical Corps

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the five-year time restriction on academic qualifications for the Army Medical Corps is applicable to recruits outside Scotland.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	The Royal Army Medical Corps covers a wide range of specialisms, each of which will have its own entry requirements by way of academic qualifications. Scottish educational qualifications are fully recognised as equivalent to English qualifications in the Army recruitment process.
	The Royal Army Medical Corps does not apply a five- year time restriction on qualifications for entry for any recruits.

Territorial Army

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure businesses that employ Territorial Army (TA) soldiers are not adversely affected by his Army 2020 plans for increased reliance on the TA.

Mark Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 5 July 2012, Official Report, column 66WS, in which he said that delivering the step-change in the size and role of Reserves will require a change in the relationship between Defence, the employer and the Reservist. Employers play a key role in enabling reservists to take their place in the defence of the nation, but we need a new framework of partnership with public and private sector employers that gives us the confidence that trained reservist manpower will be available when it is needed. We are examining how this might work through, for instance, the ‘Partnering for Talent’ programme, which seeks to identify clear business benefits for employers who support the Reserves.
	The public sector is already a major employer of Reservists and should set an example. Cross-Government work, led by the Head of the Civil Service, is promoting the benefits of employing Reservists within Government and will take the lead on positive employer support of reservists. In addition, the Ministry of Defence works closely with the National Employers Advisory Board.
	A Green Paper, setting out our proposals, is currently being prepared in order that consultation can take place during the autumn. This consultation will enable employers of Reservists to comment to the Ministry of Defence on the desired future relationships between employers and Reservists. It is intended that a new employer engagement strategy will follow thereafter.

Veterans: Disability

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his announcement of 18 July 2012 on simplification of veterans' disability payments, whether the payments will be equivalent to the amount which would have been paid under disability living allowance for (a) serious injury and (b) mental health.

Mark Francois: Payments made to injured service personnel who are in receipt of an award from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for a serious injury (including mental health) will, under the simplification of veterans' disability payments, continue to be at least the same amount as they are currently receiving under disability living allowance.

Veterans: Disability

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his announcement of 18 July 2012 on simplification of veterans' disability payments, whether the arrangements will be applied retrospectively; and to what extent.

Mark Francois: The arrangements to simplify the veterans' disability payments will be in place for April 2013. There are no current plans to apply the new arrangements retrospectively.

Veterans: Disability

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his announcement of 18 July 2012 on simplification of veterans' disability payments, what definition he plans to use of a serious injury.

Mark Francois: Under the new arrangements, seriously injured serving personnel and veterans will be those who receive an award from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme which includes payment at tariff levels 1-8 or entitlement to a guaranteed income payment of 50% or higher.

Weapons

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that no autonomous weapons systems will be deployed in any operational theatre by UK armed forces without a prior report to Parliament.

Andrew Robathan: The UK does not currently have any autonomous weapons systems—people are always involved in the decision-making process. All command decisions are, and will continue to be, based on Rules of Engagement which ensure adherence to the international laws of armed conflict.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Financial Services

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to support access to financial services in the developing world.

Alan Duncan: DFID plans to help more than 50 million people and 200,000 small businesses access savings, credit and insurance over current spending review period (2010-11 to 2014-15).
	DFID is also working with the private sector to design, pilot and increase the scope of new financial services products, including to improve ways of delivering these products.

Food Supply

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what commitments were made at the Global Hunger Event on 12 August; and how the Government intend to follow up on those commitments.

Justine Greening: The UK Government agreed to support new schemes to improve real-time information on nutrition in developing countries, including through piloting text messaging; and committed £120 million over three years to the international agricultural research network CGIAR.
	The agricultural research community agreed to roll out new nutrient-enriched crop varieties to half a million farming households in Africa by the end of 2013.
	UK companies such as Unilever, Syngenta and GlaxoSmithKline committed to find ways to make nutritious food available to poor families at prices they can afford.
	Other commitments were made by the European Commission, the Government of India and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.
	The UK will track these commitments through regular dialogue with partners who made commitments.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether she plans to increase the UK's commitment to the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria above its 2012-13 level;
	(2)  if she will commit the UK to doubling its 2012-13 commitment to the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and if she will set a specific date on which she will make an announcement of the Government's future policy towards the Global Fund.

Justine Greening: The former Secretary of State for International Development announced to the International Development Committee on 17 April 2012 that the UK would contribute £128 million to the Global Fund in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
	The announcement of future funding intentions will take place once the Global Fund has completed its reform process and the Department for International Development (DFID) concludes its own assessment through the Multilateral Aid Review.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Constituencies

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to receive proposals on proposed parliamentary constituency boundary changes.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to section 10(4) of the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Act 2011, whether the forthcoming report by the Boundary Commission concerning revisions for UK parliamentary elections will be submitted to Mr Speaker before 1 October 2013.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 5 September 2012
	I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	Under the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies (PVSC) Act 2011, each of the four boundary commissions are required to submit a report setting out their final recommendations for parliamentary constituencies in their area to the Government before 1 October 2013.
	In their respective Progress Report submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons under section 10(4) of the PVSC Act (and presented to Parliament) in January 2012, the four boundary commissions advised as follows on the progress of the boundary review in their area:
	Boundary Commission for England:
	“...we are on course to deliver our report on the review to the Deputy Prime Minister before the statutory deadline of “before 1st October 2013.”.”
	Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland:
	“At present, we anticipate that we will meet our statutory deadline to report to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland “before 1 October 2013.”.”
	Boundary Commission for Scotland:
	“We remain confident that we will be able to submit our report to the Secretary of State before the statutory deadline of 1 October 2013.”
	Boundary Commission for Wales:
	“We are confident that the final recommendations will be published on or before 1 October 2013.”

Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date he last had a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland; and what matters were discussed.

Nicholas Clegg: I regularly meet the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and discuss a range of topics.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Personal Independence Payments

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with organisations representing people with disabilities on the draft assessment criteria for personal independence payments.

Esther McVey: We have consulted disabled people and their organisations throughout the development of the personal independence payment assessment criteria.
	During the initial informal consultation on the criteria my predecessor as Minister for Disabled People, my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), and officials met 60 user-led organisations and representative groups and received 170 written responses.
	During the most recent consultation officials met 51 organisations and received over 1,000 written responses.

UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support the UN convention on the rights of disabled people.

Esther McVey: My Department is leading work developing Fulfilling Potential, a new cross-Government disability strategy in partnership with disabled people, based on the principles of the UN convention. It aims to enable disabled people to fulfil their potential and have opportunities to play their full role in society.

Youth Unemployment: London

Gavin Barwell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to help young people in London who are out of work.

Mark Hoban: We announced the Day 1 Support for Young People trailblazer in August 2012. This scheme jointly developed with Greater London Authority, will provide further support to young people with a limited work history at the start of their benefit claim. The Youth Contract will also provide additional support to young unemployed people nationally over the next three years.

Disabled People: Media Portrayal

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to challenge negative portrayals of disabled people in the media.

Esther McVey: We fully appreciate how important the portrayal of disabled people in the media is. That is exactly why I am working with disabled people and their organisations on producing a new disability strategy. One of the key areas looks at the portrayal and positive attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.
	And this is why, with the biggest ever Paralympic Games and media coverage, we joined forces with the British Paralympic Association to co-produce a best practice media guide.

Remploy

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Remploy factories have closed.

Esther McVey: Under the previous Labour Administration, 29 Remploy factories were closed or merged as part of the Modernisation programme. Since 2010, 24 further factories have closed to date.

Youth Contract

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress he has made on the youth contract.

Mark Hoban: The Youth Contract was successfully launched in April 2012. We have more staff to advise young people how to prepare for work, funding to provide more training and work experience places and wage incentives to encourage employers to hire unemployed young people from the Work programme.
	In July 2012 wage incentives were made available via Jobcentres in 20 ‘youth unemployment hotspots’ so that young people can make use of them before entering the Work programme.

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many apprentices were employed by (a) his Department and (b) its principal contractors in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Prior to October 2011 the DWP did not directly employ apprentices.
	In October 2011 to March 2012 DWP employed 108 apprentices between the ages of 16 and 24 from the unemployment register.
	From July 2012 DWP has employed 236 apprentices on a 12 months apprenticeship. The apprentices are between 16 and 24-years-old and were registered unemployed.
	(b) No details are held of apprentices having been employed by the DWP's principal contractors.

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State of 4 September 2012, Official Report, column 43WH, on Atos Healthcare, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full National Audit Office report.

Mark Hoban: This National Audit Office report has been released to DWP management to verify the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in it. The report remains the property of the National Audit Office and as such cannot be published by DWP.

Disability

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the names are of the stakeholders he expects to take part in quarterly stakeholder meetings as part of his Department's work to monitor its disability strategy.

Esther McVey: The Government will shortly publish ‘Fulfilling Potential, Next Steps’, which outlines our next steps based upon the issues and ideas disabled people have told us about, and ‘Fulfilling Potential, The Discussions So Far’, which summarises what disabled people have told us, and outlines actions already planned, and activities already under way across Government.
	We continue to work with disabled people and a wide range of disability organisations to further develop and deliver our strategy. We will ensure that appropriate structures that involve disabled people are in place to monitor the positive outcomes for disabled people.

Flexible New Deal

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the average cost to the public purse of a successful applicant on the flexible new deal programme.

Mark Hoban: It has not been possible to make a reliable estimate of the average cost to the public purse of a successful applicant on the Flexible New Deal. This is because the published information regarding the cost of Flexible New Deal is inclusive of costs not directly related to the operations of the programme, for example, fees paid to providers on its termination. The short duration of the programme meant that not all participants in the programme had the opportunity to achieve an outcome.

Migration

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to release the migration assessment statistics.

Mark Hoban: On 15 March 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published information on the reassessment of incapacity benefits claimants to employment and support allowance (ESA) on a national level for the first time. The report can be found at the following link:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr
	A date for the next release is not yet available. As for all DWP Official Statistics, once a release date exists this is pre-announced on the UK Statistics Authority publication hub in accordance with Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This can be found at the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html
	The release date will also be announced on the DWP webpage at the first link above.

New Enterprise Allowance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to extend the new enterprise allowance scheme beyond March 2014.

Mark Hoban: The new enterprise allowance scheme has been available across Great Britain since the end of August 2011. The support measure will run until 2013 and there are currently no plans to extend the scheme beyond that date.

New Enterprise Allowance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to extending the new enterprise allowance scheme to those who claim employment and support allowance.

Mark Hoban: There are no current plans to change the eligibility criteria for the new enterprise allowance.
	Self-employment can be a route off benefits for people on employment and support allowance. Other sources of support, such as enterprise clubs, may be available to them. In addition, self-employment support may be available through work choice, and work programme providers will be free to support their claimants to set up a business.

Personal Independence Payments

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tenders were received for the contract to assess personal independence payment assessments.

Esther McVey: Ten organisations were appointed to the Health and Disability assessment services framework and were eligible to submit tenders to deliver personal independence payment assessments. On 21 May 2012 a total of 19 bids were submitted from six organisations across the four Lots. All bids received were compliant.

Remploy

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding his Department has allocated to assist former employees of Wrexham Remploy to find work.

Esther McVey: The Remploy People Help and Support Package (PHSP) is the Government's key process for delivering tailored support to those disabled people becoming redundant as a result of the announcement on the future of Remploy. £8 million has been made available to fund the delivery of PHSP across the UK.
	We have allocated £4 million of this fund for personal budgets, which will make funding available for each disabled person affected by redundancy, to provide additional support where other sources of funding are unavailable. The personal budget is an element of the support package, and will be accessed via the personal case worker.
	Also £1.5 million from this fund is allocated to the Community Support Fund (CSF) for funding local disabled people's organisations in delivering support to affected Remploy workers.
	More on CSF and how to apply for it can be found at
	http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/odi-projects/community-support-fund.php

Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date he last had a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland; and what matters were discussed.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), and the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), meet regularly to discuss a range of topics.

Social Security Benefits: Assessments

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of cases where people have committed suicide and a coroner has linked their suicide with their benefit assessment.

Mark Hoban: The Department does not collect the information requested. The Department records the number of customer deaths by benefit and year, but does not record the customer's cause of death.

Social Security Benefits: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Brigg and Goole have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many people in Brigg and Goole constituency who have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010 are only available for jobseekers allowance (JSA) claimants, which are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of JSA claimants in Brigg and Goole constituency who have had a sanction applied for refusing employment: 1 May 2010 to 30 April 2012 
			 Area Number of JSA claimants 
			 Brigg and Goole constituency 150 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Refusal of employment is a varied length sanction. 3. Varied Length Sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the adjudication officer who makes the decision. 4. Geographies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. 
		
	
	Statistics on how many people in Brigg and Goole constituency have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010 for non-JSA claimants are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: British Nationals Abroad

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what rules apply to the UK (a) benefits claimable and (b) requirements to register for benefits in respect of persons undertaking paid seasonal employment overseas who subsequently return to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Contributory benefits are payable to anyone who satisfies the contribution and other conditions for the benefit. Generally someone would need to have been working and paying national insurance in the UK for around two years to qualify for contributory benefits. It is possible under the European Union social security regulations to take account of the contributions paid in another member state to help meet the contribution conditions of the benefits. Someone claiming for a contributory benefit would need to provide evidence of employment and contributions which have been made.
	However, someone returning from abroad would be required to satisfy the habitual residence test to claim income-related benefits. The habitual residence test has two elements: a legal right to reside and an objective assessment of factual evidence of habitual residence. British national's have a right of abode in the UK and therefore a legal right to reside. If a person has returned to the UK the decision maker will ask a range of questions about whether someone has an attachment to the UK and have an intention to stay and ask the claimant to provide evidence to establish factual habitual residence. Each case is treated on its own merits, in the light of the person's individual circumstances.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the use of lie detector tests to identify benefit fraudsters.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not use lie detector tests to identify benefit fraud. DWP has carried out extensive trials of Voice Risk Analytics (VRA), within Jobcentres but primarily with the help of local authorities. The results were inconclusive, so no further action was taken. DWP has not deployed VRA outside of this pilot and has no plans to do so. Local authorities are autonomous and not bound by DWP policy. Some continued to deploy VRA after the pilot ended.

Telephone Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will provide information to consumers on steps to avoid high charges for calling customer helplines operated by his Department and its public bodies from mobile telephones.

Mark Hoban: The Department's strategy is that calls to claim benefit or to request emergency payments should be free to customers, so it uses 0800 free phone numbers for these calls. The Department has secured agreements to ensure that it is free to call its 0800 numbers via nine of the UK's largest mobile phone operators, representing 95% of the mobile market. We are continuing to work with the remaining mobile phone providers to negotiate free calls to DWP 0800 numbers.
	The Department uses 0845 telephone numbers where its customers call for other reasons, and these are calls that typically take less time to resolve. The charges that apply to these calls will be set by the customer's mobile operator.
	The 0800 and 0845 numbers are clearly signposted to customers for the services that they wish to access and the service is organised so that the customer is routed to the best agent to help with their call. The Department also provides “Customer Access Phones” in a large number of its Jobcentre Plus offices where customers can make benefit claims or pursue job applications and the customer does not have to pay when using these facilities. The Department also encourages its customers to use online facilities as an alternative to calling its 0800 and 0845 services. The Department does not use any premium rate numbers.
	The Department is aware of the financial difficulties of its most vulnerable customers. A ‘Call-Back' service is available on all of its 0800/0845 numbers, whereby if a caller expresses a concern about the cost of their call the operator is able to offer to call the customer back to complete the call.

Telephone Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of helplines operated by his Department and its public bodies which use 08 telephone numbers, (b) the number of calls made to such helplines in the latest period for which figures are available and (c) the total cost to consumers of such calls.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) There are 88 service lines operated by the Department which use 08 numbers.
	(b) For the period 27August 2012 to 31 August 2012 there were a total of 1,308,912 calls made to these service lines, for which figures are available.
	(c) It is free to call the Department's 0800 numbers from all major landline providers. The Department has secured agreements to ensure that it is also free to call these numbers via nine of the UK's largest mobile telephone operators representing 95% of the mobile market.
	The charges that apply to calls to its 0845 numbers will vary depending on service provider, the caller's personal contract, and the time of day at which the call is made. The Department does not hold all of this information and therefore it is not possible to provide a figure for the total cost to customers of calls to 0845 numbers.
	British Telecom, the largest landline provider, does not charge for landline calls to 0845 numbers where the customer has a Call Plan and the call is made within the call plan times. Where this is not the case charges are either 2p or 4p per minute. Other landline providers charge between 3p and 10p per minute for a daytime call to an 0845 number. For calls from mobile telephones the average charge rate is around 30p per minute based on analysis of mobile call tariffs.
	The Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board, Equality 2025, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, National Employment Savings Trust, Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Security Advisory Committee do not operate 0845 telephone numbers.
	The Independent Living Fund
	(a) Number of lines using 08 numbers = 2.
	(b) Latest billing information we have is for the month of July = 3,866 total calls.
	(c) Cost of calls to consumers not known. This is determined by service providers used by callers, not ILF.
	The Health and Safety Executive
	With the exception of an 0845 number, which is used for the telephone reporting of fatal and major injuries to Jobcentre Plus, HSE does not operate any 08 telephone numbers. This number is not a helpline and is used strictly for the reporting of fatal and major injuries to HSE, which is a legal requirement.
	The Pensions Regulator
	Calls made to the TPR helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 
			 0845 600 0707 (Customer Support) 135 
			 0845 600 5666 (Scheme return and Levy) 579 
			 0845 600 7060 (Whistle blowing) 6 
			 0845 600 1011 (Automatic Enrolment) 95 
		
	
	TPR does not have details of what these calls cost to the caller but has provided the following information.
	For calls offered to TPR 0845 numbers the following details regarding charges to the consumer are provided as follows:
	Ofcom lists the customer call charge for these numbers typically as being between 1p and 10.5p per minute depending on the time of day; however it is free from some BT landlines depending on their call plan. Mobile phone charges are generally higher at approximately 12p and 41p per minute.
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	Calls made to the TPAS helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 
			 0845 601 2923 (Pensions helpline) 740 
			 0845 600 0806 (Women and Pensions) 28 
			 0845 602 7021 (Self Employed) 5 
		
	
	TPAS does not have details of what these calls cost to the caller.
	Pensions Protection Fund
	Calls made to the PPF helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 Calls in August 2012 
			 0845 600 2541 (PPF—general queries) 98 702 
			 0845 603 7224 (Capita for transferred PPF members) n/a 2,683 
			 0845 604 4585 (Capita for FAS members) n/a 1,857 
		
	
	PPF do not have details of what these calls cost to the caller.
	Remploy
	Remploy does not separate out the data for 03 and 08 helpline numbers therefore the information provided relates to both 03 and 08 helpline numbers.
	(a) Remploy currently operates the following number of helpline telephone numbers:
	
		
			 Numbers Quantity 
			 0300 300 
			 0800 8 
			 0845 318 
		
	
	(b) The number of calls made to Remploy's helplines in the latest period for which figures are available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of calls Weeks Average per week 
			 May 2012 27,856 4 6,964 
			 June 2012 32,225 5 6,445 
			 July 2012 27,525 4 6,881 
			 Totals 87,606 13 6,739 
		
	
	The figure of 6,739 is the overall average figure for one week over the 13 week period.
	(c) Remploy does not hold any information on costs to consumers of such calls. Background information:
	Costs to consumer from BT Landline:
	0300: Local rate call/or inclusive minutes taken from tariff landline or mobile.
	0845: National rate call (costs vary if calling from mobile-provider-contract type telephone)
	0800: Free (costs vary if calling from mobile-provider-contract type telephone).

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what savings to the Exchequer under universal credit he estimates will result from (a) the reduction compared with jobseeker's allowance rates for couples under 25 and (b) the reduction compared with employment and support allowance rates for single people under 25 entitled to the disability element of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: Universal credit provides a new single system of means-tested support for working-age people who are in or out of work.
	The UC rates will be decided and published when we lay UC regulations in the autumn. Overall it is estimated that benefit expenditure will be around £2 billion higher once universal credit is fully implemented

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of increasing all earnings disregards under universal credit by £200.

Mark Hoban: We are introducing a tailored system of earnings disregards under universal credit. It will be generally higher than under the current benefit system in order to improve households' incentives to enter work.
	Based on the Department's current estimates, the cost of increasing earnings disregards further by £200 per annum for all households in universal credit would cost in the region of £400 million per annum in 2012-13 prices. This is consistent with the analysis published in the Universal Credit Impact Assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum length of time is between an applicant winning an appeal for employment and support allowance and having to attend their next work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: Where someone appeals against a disallowance decision, the tribunal considers the evidence, the law, and the claimant's circumstances at the time of that decision. If the appeal is upheld and the claimant is awarded employment and support allowance (ESA), they may still be required to attend a further work capability assessment (WCA) in the same way as any other claimant in receipt of ESA.
	Where an appeal has been upheld, the date for the next WCA is decided by the decision maker. When determining the date, the decision maker will take into account the tribunal's recommendation, if any, the health care professional's advice from the previous assessment, and any medical evidence that has been submitted after the appeal was made.

Work Capability Assessment

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals with mental health conditions have been identified at the time of work capability assessment since July 2011; and on how many occasions the services of mental function champions were made available to those individuals for assessment purposes.

Mark Hoban: The Department regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA). The latest report was published in July 2012 and can be found on the internet at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	Table 7 of the publication mentioned above shows outcomes at initial functional assessment split into International Classification of Diseases (2010) Condition Groups, including mental and behavioural disorders.
	All Atos health care professionals are fully trained and approved to assess people with mental health conditions. Professor Harrington recommended that Atos introduced champions in mental, intellectual and cognitive disabilities, who have undergone further specific training in these conditions and are able to spread best practice and knowledge, and help other health care professionals across the UK, (not the ESA individual claimant) with difficult assessments involving mental, intellectual or cognitive disabilities.
	Atos Healthcare does not maintain records to show how many assessments have been completed, following advice from a mental function champion.

Work Capability Assessment

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mental function champions have been put in place to support the assessment of individuals with mental health conditions since their introduction in July 2011.

Mark Hoban: In line with the Atos Healthcare's contract with DWP, Atos Healthcare has introduced 60 mental function champions across the UK since their introduction in 2011.

Work Capability Assessment

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals with identified mental health conditions for work capability assessment purposes who took their case to appeal had the services of a mental function champion made available since July 2011.

Mark Hoban: Mental function champions (MFCs) have been in place on a regional basis since May 2011. It is not the role of the MFC to assess individual cases. They are expected to assist and advise health care professional (HCP) colleagues on how to deal with any aspect of a case involving mental function or learning disability. MFCs are available to provide telephone support to any HCP who wants further advice or guidance before, during or after the work capability assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ask Atos to cease informing their health professionals of the average rate at which claimants are placed into each group following a work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: The DWP contract with Atos Healthcare contains no targets, or expected range or distribution of advice to DWP decision makers for Work Capability Assessment outcomes. Atos Healthcare does not inform its health care professionals of average rates.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the recommendation relating to the Work programme made by the CBI in July, what assessment he has made of the potential to allow providers to share comprehensive data with local authorities on performance and the jobseekers they support.

Mark Hoban: Variations to Work programme contracts were introduced in June 2012. These variations give providers the discretion to share specified management information with local authorities, where confidentiality agreements have been put in place.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who paid air passenger duty (a) directly, (b) as a company expense and (c) in total in the last 12 months.

Sajid Javid: No estimates are available. Airlines, not passengers, are responsible for paying air passenger duty to HM Revenue and Customs. The published statistics on APD, including the total number of passengers for whom airlines were liable to pay APD, are available online here:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

Crown Lands and Estates

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Crown Estate's investment strategy for (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: As envisaged in the framework document setting out the Treasury's relationship with the Crown Estate, my officials meet the Crown Estate to discuss its investment strategy in general terms once a year. The agreed strategy is summarised in the Crown Estate's annual report, for example the current strategy is at pages 18-19 of the 2011-12 report.

Crown Lands and Estates

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of the Crown Estate; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Crown Estate's annual report for 2011-12 gives its net asset value at end March 2012 as £8,054.5 million.

Crown Lands and Estates: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what property assets were sold by the Crown Estate in London boroughs by (a) borough and (b) size of asset in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The following table has the relevant available information:
	
		
			  Borough Property Area (sq ft) 
			 2009-10 City of London Bath House, Holborn 170,000 
			   Atlantic House, Holborn 260,661 
			     
			  Kensington and Chelsea Meridian House; Kimberley House; 32/33a Farringdon Road 132,314 
			   Lancer Square, Kensington Church Street 77,035 
			     
			  Westminster Metropole 10 Whitehall Place 241,763 
			   Coutts, Strand 136,787 
			   1-3 Buckingham Gate 168,262 
			   Harley Street 85,000 
			     
			 2010-11 City of London Royal Mint Court 237,740 
			   Royal Mint Court 237,740 
			     
			  Camden Housing at Cumberland Market 346,000 
			  Hackney Housing at Victoria Park 283,000 
			  Westminster Housing at Millbank 168,000 
			  Lewisham Housing at Lee Green 53,000 
			     
			 2011-12 Camden Dyott House, 63-69 New Oxford St 19,491 
			     
			  City of London Fleet Place House, Holborn Viaduct 91,696 
			   40 Holborn Viaduct 174,610 
			     
			 2012-13 Westminster 138 Piccadilly 8,252 
			   3-8a Whitehall Place 94,380

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Equitable Life Payment Scheme will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng) of 10 May 2012 on behalf of a constituent with an outstanding case.

Sajid Javid: The scheme aims to respond to all the letters it receives as promptly as possible. I have asked my HM Treasury officials to pursue this case with the scheme.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Equitable Life Payment Scheme to respond to all outstanding cases.

Sajid Javid: The scheme will continue to make payments until it closes in April 2014. The scheme aims to respond to all the queries it receives as soon as is possible.

EU Budget

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of the UK's contribution to the European Union in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how much was paid to the UK in rebates in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: Details of the UK's contributions to the EU since 1995, including gross and net contributions and the UK abatement, are published in the annual “European Union Finances” documents (“European Community Finances” before 2010). The current and past editions of these documents, from 2000 to 2012, are available in the House Library and on the Treasury's public website
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/int_eu_statefraud.htm

EU Budget: Contributions

Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's net contribution to the EU was in each of the last 15 years for which figures are available.

Greg Clark: Details of the UK's contributions to the EU since 1995, including net contributions, are published in the annual “European Union Finances” documents (“European Community Finances” before 2010). The current and past editions of these documents, from 2000 to 2012, are available in the House Library and on the Treasury's public website
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/int_eu_statefraud.htm

Excise Duties: Fuels

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the claims by the FairFuelUK campaign that a cut in fuel duty would boost economic growth.

Sajid Javid: The effects on the economy of fuel prices, including oil prices, refinery margins and tax, are assessed by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of its economic and fiscal forecasts.

Financial Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the amount independent financial advisers are required to pay when claims are lodged against them; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The matter raised is for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence. I have asked the FOS to write to the hon. Member about the issued raised. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Infrastructure

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's infrastructure programme announced on 18 July 2012, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to the Exchequer of the programme.

Danny Alexander: The UK Guarantees programme announced in July 2012 has taken account of and assessed and considered any potential risks to the Exchequer. Indeed, one of the published key tests for eligibility for a guarantee is that a project does not present unacceptable fiscal or economic risks to the Exchequer.

Loans: West Midlands

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an estimate of net (a) unsecured and (b) secured lending to individuals in (i) the West Midlands, (ii) Coventry and (iii) Coventry North East in each quarter of the last five years.

Sajid Javid: The Government do not produce official estimates of secured or unsecured lending by region.
	The Bank of England publishes data on net lending to individuals, but these figures are not available at the regional level.

Local Government: Stocks and Shares

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date his Department barred local government from investing in derivatives in 1997.

Greg Clark: HM Treasury took no such action in 1997.

Monetary Policy

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the Bank of England's publication of the distributional analysis of the effects of quantitative easing, what discussions he has had on the effects of low gilt yields on businesses and economic growth;
	(2)  whether the Government plans to respond formally to the Bank of England's distributional analysis on the effects of quantitative easing in his autumn statement.

Greg Clark: The credibility of the Government's fiscal plans allows the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to keep bank rate lower than it would otherwise have been and to deliver additional monetary stimulus through quantitative easing (QE). This has helped keep interest rates lower for families, businesses and taxpayers, which helps support economic growth. The Bank of England, in its Quarterly Bulletin published in September 2011, has found evidence of the first round of QE implemented between March 2009 and January 2012 having raised UK inflation by around 0.75 to 1.5 percentage points and real GDP by around 1. 5 to 2%.
	In line with the Treasury Committee's recommendation in its report on Budget2012 published on 18 April 2012, the Bank of England's analysis on the distributional effects of asset purchases or QE was conducted in consultation with HM Treasury.
	The Government welcome the Bank's analysis and notes the conclusion that without asset purchases,
	“most people in the United Kingdom would have been worse off. Economic growth would have been lower. Unemployment would have been higher. Many more companies would have gone out of business. This would have had a significant detrimental impact on savers and pensioners along with every other group in society.”

Mortgages

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage more institutions to offer mortgages for first-time buyers buying property on a shared equity basis.

Greg Clark: The Government recognise the importance of a sustainable mortgage market to support a stable housing market.
	However decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages, including shared equity mortgages, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders, and the Government do not seek to intervene in these decisions.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide detail of such discussions.
	The Government recently announced an extension to the successful FirstBuy scheme aimed at helping first time buyers by offering an equity loan of up to 20% of the property value towards the cost of purchasing a home. FirstBuy has proven to be extremely popular and there has been strong demand. We recognise the continued challenges first time buyers are facing and therefore have extended the scheme, providing a further £280 million to help a further 16,500 households by March 2014.

Public Finance

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the underlying UK deficit was in the first six months of 2012 excluding the assets of the Royal Mail pension funds from the Government's accounts.

Danny Alexander: The borrowing figures are published in the HMT ONS Public Sector Finance Statistical Bulletin which can be found on the HMT website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/psf.pdf
	in table PSF2 under PSNBex, time series -J5II. The total amount the Government has borrowed for the first six months of 2012 (from January 2012 to June 2012) comes to £38.2 billion, including the £28 billion transfer received by government from the assets of the Royal Mail Pension Plan.

Revenue and Customs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the planned reduction of jobs will be in HM Revenue and Customs between 2010 and 2015.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to reduce full-time equivalent posts from around 67,000 in October 2010 to 56,000 by April 2015.
	HMRC is confident that staffing reductions can be achieved in the main through natural wastage and by maximising the redeployment of its existing resources.

Revenue and Customs

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that correspondence issued by HM Revenue and Customs which contains date-related penalties (a) is despatched on the same date as is given on the letter and (b) is posted first class.

David Gauke: Penalties exist to encourage taxpayers to comply with their legal obligations. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) aims to date correspondence on the day that it is issued and does so wherever possible. HMRC is aware of some exceptions and is working to address this.
	HMRC uses 2nd class postage as this represents the best value in terms of cost and service for taxpayers.

Revenue and Customs: Nurseries

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total number of childcare places provided is at HM Revenue and Customs buildings; and how this has changed over the last two years;
	(2)  what the cost of current provisions of childcare is on HM Revenue and Customs estates; and how this has changed over the last two years;
	(3)  how many fewer childcare places will be provided on HM Revenue and Customs estates as a result of the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates; and how many places will be lost in each of the eight nurseries affected;
	(4)  what the cost will be of providing childcare places on HM Revenue and Customs estates once the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates takes effect;
	(5)  what the total number of childcare places on HM Revenue and Customs estates will be once the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates takes effect.

David Gauke: Child care provision on HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) estate is managed by HMRC's private finance initiative (PFI) estate partner Mapeley and separately by Interserve FM on HMRC's Newcastle PFI estate, with the contracts being held between the PFI partner/service provider and the nursery provider. The cost of the provision of child care incurred under these contracts and the subsequent cost of child care to parents forms part of the commercial arrangements of the parties involved and is therefore commercially sensitive.
	Under the terms of the contracts for child care provision, HMRC bears the cost of the accommodation used in its buildings. These costs are included in the overall PFI unitary charge for each of the buildings and cannot be disclosed on the grounds of commercial sensitivity.
	Information on the number of child care places is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Total number of child care places provided in HMRC buildings  471 
			    
			 Changes in the last two years Reduction of 62 places due to the closure of two nurseries — 
			    
			 Reduction in child care places following closure of Bright Horizons nurseries in HMRC buildings Castle Meadow Nottingham 50 
			  Chaucers Walk Blackburn 38 
			  Deansgate Wolverhampton 25 
			  Hectors House East Kilbride 59 
			  Peter Bennett House Leeds 40 
			  Cheeky Cherubs Salford 45 
			  Little Nippers Leicester 33 
			  First Friends Cardiff 60 
			  Total 350 
			    
			 Total number of child care places in HMRC buildings following the closure of Bright Horizons nurseries  121

Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  where his Department's office in Scotland is to be located; and at what cost;
	(2)  whether the Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement role was created to fill competence gaps at the Scotland Office;
	(3)  whether any share of the salary for the Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement will be met by the Scotland Office;
	(4)  what pension accompanies the post of Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement;
	(5)  how many staff are employed in his Department's devolved countries unit; and what their responsibilities are;
	(6)  how many applications were received for the post of Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement from (a) internal and (b) external applicants;
	(7)  which (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials were involved in devising the role of Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement;
	(8)  which (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials were involved in the selection and interview process for the role of Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement;
	(9)  whether the work of the Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement will involve engagement with the Better Together Campaign;
	(10)  how many staff will be employed to support the Head of Scotland analysis and Stakeholder Engagement;
	(11)  how many staff employed within his Department's (a) Executive Management Board, (b) Ministerial and Communications Team, (c) Strategy, Planning and Budget Team, (d) Corporate Centre, (e) Treasury Legal Advisers Team, (f) International and EU Team, (g) Financial Stability Team, (h) Economics Team, (i) Financial Services, (j) Financial Regulation and Market Team, (k) Fiscal Team, (l) Business and International Tax Section, (m) Personal Tax, Welfare and Pensions Team, (n) Public Spending, (o) Enterprise and Growth Section, (p) Financial Management and Reporting Team and (q) Public Services Section are based at locations in Scotland;
	(12)  whether the post of Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement is a politically neutral role.

Danny Alexander: The Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement role has been created to support UK Government Ministers in their objective of maintaining the UK, in the run up to the proposed referendum on Scottish independence. The post is being filled through a standard Treasury recruitment process for which normal civil service recruitment rules and subsequent terms and conditions apply. Further detail on HM Treasury recruitment process can be found on the Department's website.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of Liverpool, Walton constituency have secured apprenticeships in each year since 1997.

Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts in Liverpool, Walton parliamentary constituency between 2005/06 to 2010/11 academic year. The year 2005/06 is the earliest year for which comparable sub-national data are available and 2010/11 is the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts in Liverpool, Walton parliamentary constituency 2005/06 to 2010/11. 
			  Liverpool Walton parliamentary constituency 
			 2005/06 530 
			 2006/07 630 
			 2007/08 760 
			 2008/09 660 
			 2009/10 900 
		
	
	
		
			 2010/11 1,550 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography is based on the home postcode of the learner. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by parliamentary constituency is published in a supplementary table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 28 June 2012
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/

Business: Government Assistance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses have been supported under the Growth Accelerator Programme; what the average level of financial assistance has been per business; and what sectors those businesses are in.

Michael Fallon: The Growth Accelerator was formally launched in late May this year and, at the end of August, over 2,400 eligible businesses have registered interest in the programme, with 663 now being supported by it. These businesses cover the full range of sectors found in the UK economy, including, but not limited to:
	Automotive
	Business Services
	Energy
	Environmental Services
	Food and Drink
	Information Technology
	Logistics
	Machinery and equipment
	Media
	Retail
	Growth Accelerator provides bespoke packages of support to businesses based on their particular barriers to growth rather than direct financial support. This support includes high quality coaching, masterclasses, leadership and management training and peer group support as well as access to external support that they need (e.g. export advice, angel investment, access to incubators etc.). The initial average value of the coaching, masterclasses and leadership and management training is c. £5,100. This is expected to increase as European Development Funding (ERDF) and private sector contributions to the programme are secured.

Construction: Scotland

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on developing the construction industry in (a)  Scotland and (b) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency.

Michael Fallon: Most matters relating to the development of the Scottish construction industry are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Discussions between the Department and the Scottish Parliament on this agenda are therefore limited.

EU Internal Trade

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to make the UK economy less reliant on trade with the EU.

Jo Swinson: Businesses are ultimately responsible for deciding who they trade with—it is not for the Government to determine the international trading positions of companies looking to export to or import from other countries.
	The EU is our largest trading partner in terms of both exports and imports, accounting for 47% and 51% respectively.(1) The single market provides British-based companies customs and tariff-free access to a market that consists of 500 million consumers(2). Continuing to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the single market will be important to maintaining UK competitiveness both in the EU and in global markets more broadly. However, this does not mean neglecting trade opportunities outside of the EU including fast-growing market such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) corporate strategy, launched in March 2011, supports this objective. To underpin the importance to the UK economy of exploiting opportunities to export to all global markets to UK growth, the Government also announced, in Budget 2012, an ambition to more than double annual UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020.
	(1) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom-balance-of-payments/2012/index.html
	(2)http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table &language=en&pcode=tps00001&tableSelection= 1&footnotes=yes&labeling=lables&plugin=I

EU Law

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce regulation in the EU.

Michael Fallon: The Government are committed to addressing the overall burden on business of EU regulation. We have formed an alliance of like-minded member states on EU better regulation, and succeeded in ensuring that the EU Compact for Jobs and Growth adopted by the European Council in June explicitly highlights the need to reduce the overall EU regulatory burden. We are now pressing the European Commission to bring forward a new programme to reduce unnecessary costs to business by addressing the overall EU regulatory burden, when the current EU administrative burdens reduction exercise comes to an end at the end of the year.
	We have already secured a commitment from the Commission last November that micro-businesses will be exempted from future EU legislation unless there are compelling reasons to include them. In parallel, the Commission has also committed to examine existing and forthcoming EU legislation for further opportunities to lighten the burden on small businesses. We will be holding the Commission to account on these commitments, and have already achieved agreement in Brussels to exempt up to 1.4 million UK small businesses from certain EU accounting rules.
	We continue to press all the EU institutions to live up to their commitments to reduce burdens on business, and following UK lobbying, the European Parliament has created a unit to assess the costs and benefits of the amendments it makes to Commission proposals.

EU Law

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the annual cost of regulation arising from EU legislation on businesses in the UK.

Michael Fallon: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, under this Government, the impact assessment system has been strengthened. Notably, impact assessments, including on draft regulations implementing EU obligations, are now independently validated by the Regulatory Policy Committee. UK impact assessments are available on the legislation.gov.uk website at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length is of unpaid internship positions advertised on the Government's Graduate Talent Pool website.

David Willetts: Of the 55 unpaid vacancies advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website during August 2012, 92% specified the length of internship. Some 37% of these specified a period of up to one month, 45% between two to three months, 12% between four to six months and 6% between seven to 12 months.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many internship positions advertised on the Government's Graduate Talent Pool website are unpaid.

David Willetts: During August 2012, there were 55 unpaid internships vacancies advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool out of a total number of 2,229. Of the 55 unpaid vacancies 36 were in charitable organisations. The introduction of the vacancy quality assurance process in October 2011 has had a significant impact on the percentage of unpaid internships carried, seeing a decline from around 30% to just 2% of all vacancies advertised in August 2012.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidelines he issued to private higher education providers (a) before and (b) after November 2011 about (i) the application process for designated course status and (ii) the introduction of due diligence checks for designated course status.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company issues an information pack and application forms to providers who wish to apply for specific designation of courses. The information pack is updated annually. The information pack was updated in September 2011 and included the information that additional provider checks were in the process of being developed. This was updated in July 2012 so as to include more details on the additional provider checks and to advise providers that those subject to the reviews will be sent an additional form at the point of referral to the Department so that further information can be provided.

London Metropolitan University

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department had (1) with (i) Ministers and officials from the Home Department and (ii) officials from the UK Border Agency between 1 July and 28 August 2012 to discuss the highly trusted sponsor status of London Metropolitan university;
	(2)  with the Vice-Chancellor of London Metropolitan university between 1 July and 28 August 2012 to discuss the University's highly trusted sponsor status.

David Willetts: No meetings have been held between Ministers or officials in this Department to discuss the highly trusted sponsor status of London Metropolitan university.

London Metropolitan University

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many outstanding loans the Higher Education Funding Council has with London Metropolitan university; what repayments have been made of those loans; and what repayments of previous over-payments to that university have been made since 2010.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 September 2012
	The university has one recoverable grant with the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) totalling £4 million outstanding as at 1 September 2012. In addition, HEFCE will be recovering £18.8 million in relation to previous over-payments over the next two years. Between April 2010 and August 2012 HEFCE adjusted the University's grant by £2.1 million in relation to a recoverable grant and £23.8 million in relation to previous over-payments.

Overseas Trade: Sri Lanka

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what trade there is between UK companies and Sri Lanka.

Michael Fallon: The total value of trade in goods and services between the UK and Sri Lanka was £1.25 billion in 2011.
	Sources:
	HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics, ONS Balance of Payments (Pink Book)

Pharmaceutical Industry

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to (a) maintain and (b) enhance the competitiveness of the UK as a location for the global pharmaceutical industry; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: On 5 December 2011, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, launched the “Strategy for UK Life Sciences” which builds on many of the actions of the Growth Review. The strategy was launched alongside “Innovation Health and Wealth—Accelerating Adoption and Diffusion in the National Health Service (NHS)” by the NHS chief executive. Together they contain radical actions to enhance the competitiveness of the UK as a global hub for life sciences, including the pharmaceutical sector.
	In implementing the strategy, the Government have focused on five key themes: research clusters and collaborations; open data; improving the environment, including for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); global marketing of the UK; and skills, talent and workforce.
	Details of progress to date in implementing the strategy were sent to stakeholders in a letter dated 20 August 2012. The letter was published on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/l/12-1123-life-sciences-strategy-update-august-2012

Postal Services

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Post Office Ltd receives Government front desk contracts.

Jo Swinson: The Department has made a significant financial commitment of £1.34 billion over the current spending period to sustain and modernise the post office network, helping to ensure it can meet the future requirements of its customers, and has made an additional commitment that there will be no programme of closures.
	Alongside these commitments, Post Office Ltd has set out its ambition to provide more services on behalf of central and local Government. Recognising that the company operates commercially at arm's length from Government, we have been absolutely clear, not least through the investment we are making, that we support Post Office Ltd in its ambition. The Department or agency responsible for a particular service will decide how best to deliver that service and Government must, of course, procure its services from other providers in line with EU procurement regulations.

Public Houses

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with (a) Punch Taverns, (b) Enterprise Inns and (c) other pubcos on their relationships with the tenants and leaseholders of their pubs; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has had no discussions within the last six months with Punch Taverns, Enterprise Inns or other pubcos on their relationships with the tenants and leaseholders of their pubs.

Students: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many professional or career development loans were taken up in each academic year since 2001-02; and what the average loan amount was in each such year.

David Willetts: Management information from 2009-10 indicates the following:
	
		
			 Financial year Loan take-up Average loan value (rounded) (£) 
			 2009-10 8,320 6,700 
			 2010-11 7,679 7,000 
			 2011-12 8,884 (1)— 
			 (1) Not yet available. 
		
	
	Data are recorded across financial years, rather than academic years, in line with the management of departmental budgets.
	Data on career development loans (subsequently professional and career development loans from July 2009) show that 140,750 career development loans were taken up between 1998 and 2008. These equated to a total value of £624 million. Information is not available on an annual basis and it is therefore not possible to derive an average annual loan amount for these years.

Students: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were granted professional or career development loans in each academic year since 2001-02.

David Willetts: Since the introduction of professional and career development loans in July 2009, the Department has collected data on the number of loan applications accepted by the banks in each financial year:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of PCDLS offered 
			 2009-10 12,239 
			 2010-11 8,333 
			 2011-12 10,105 
		
	
	Data collection on the number of career development loans offered by the participating banks were previously not part of the programme's contractual audit requirements with the banks. Information is therefore not available on the number of students granted loans prior to 2009.

Technology Strategy Board

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the status is of the planned comprehensive review of the Technology Strategy Board.

David Willetts: Further to my written ministerial statement on 10 July 2012, Official Report, column 12WS, the Triennial Review of the Technology Strategy board has now commenced and is currently seeking comments from stakeholders.

Trade Unions

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent the blacklisting of trade union members.

Jo Swinson: Employees in the UK are protected against blacklisting by the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010. The Regulations allow them to bring a case to a civil court or an employment tribunal if they suspect that they have been denied employment, suffered detriment or been unfairly dismissed as a result of the use of an illegal blacklist.
	As there is no evidence that the practice of blacklisting of trade union members is a widespread problem, the Government do not believe that there is a need for further steps at this time.

HEALTH

One North West

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have given to One North West.

Anna Soubry: The Department has not provided any funding to One North West within the last seven years. This information is not routinely collected centrally from the Department's agencies.

Blood: Diseases

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his policy is on improving the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to improve the early detection of sepsis;
	(3)  what training his Department provides to enable NHS staff to diagnose and treat sepsis at an early stage;
	(4)  what plans his Department has to raise public awareness of sepsis.

Daniel Poulter: Sepsis is the invasion and infection of a person with pathogenic micro-organisms that cause a severe response in the body. Sepsis can take many forms and at its most serious can result in death.
	Frontline health care professionals are routinely trained to recognise the early signs of severe sepsis and how to treat it. The Department supports existing international guidance on the management of sepsis and used this to inform ‘Start Smart Then Focus’ guidance published in November 2011. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	In addition, registered health care providers are expected to ensure ongoing education of staff on the principles and practice of the prevention and control of infection, as advocated in ‘The Code of Practice for the prevention and control of infection and related guidance’.
	The Department has no plans to develop a public education campaign on sepsis.

Blood: Diseases

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated to sepsis research.

Anna Soubry: The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including sepsis. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
	Examples of current NIHR investment in sepsis research include:
	a £2.7 million trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of early protocolised resuscitation for emerging septic shock;
	a trial of vasopressin versus noradrenaline as initial therapy in septic shock, supported by a £1.1 million clinician scientist award and a £0.2 million grant through the Research for Patient Benefit programme;
	a £0.4 million doctoral research fellowship studying how risks associated with neutropenic sepsis are conveyed to and interpreted by patients undergoing chemotherapy; and
	a £0.3 million project to develop a point of care test for sepsis based on calcium-induced turbidity in blood.

Health Services: Rural Areas

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to improve access by rural communities to (a) early diagnosis of cancer and (b) other healthcare services.

Norman Lamb: ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January 2011, set out our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through earlier diagnosis of symptomatic cancer and improved access to screening and radiotherapy, aiming to narrow the inequalities gap at the same time. Incidence and mortality rates from cancer are higher in disadvantaged groups and areas, which can include rural areas, so the greatest scope to make improvements is by focusing on these.
	To support earlier diagnosis of cancer, we have committed over £450 million in funding over the spending review period. This money is helping to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, improving general practitioner (GP) access to key diagnostic tests and providing more testing and treatment in secondary care. In the first half of 2012, we have run two national Be Clear on Cancer awareness campaigns on bowel and lung cancer. Campaign advertisements have appeared on television, radio and in print media, which have highlighted the key symptoms of disease and encouraged people to see their GP should they have persistent symptoms. To ensure momentum is maintained, on 28 August, we relaunched our national bowel cancer campaign until the end of September.
	We have also supported the national health service to undertake local cancer awareness activity. In 2010-11, 59 local campaigns on breast, bowel and lung cancer took place and in 2011-12, 18 awareness campaigns on oesophago-gastric cancer, breast cancer in and on the symptom of blood in urine were undertaken. Among the projects were those that have focused on groups we know to be hard to reach, including people in rural areas.
	While it remains the responsibility of local commissioners to deliver services for local populations, new duties are being introduced from April 2013 to improve access to NHS healthcare services and to reduce health inequalities, including in rural and other areas. The duties will focus on reducing differences in health and the length of life between communities, through greater improvements in more disadvantaged communities.

Hospital Wards: Gender

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made towards eliminating mixed-sex accommodation at hospitals in London; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: In hospitals within London Strategic Health Authority, breaches of the rules on mixed-sex accommodation fell from 2,679 in December 2010 (when compulsory reporting began) to 159 in July 2012 (the lowest yet recorded).
	The Government remain determined to end the indignity of patients staying in mixed-sex accommodation, except where it is clearly in their best interests to do so. The latest national figures show that breaches have fallen from nearly 12,000 in December 2010 to 249 in July 2012.
	Despite this huge improvement, every unjustified breach is one too many. We will continue to publish regular and reliable data about how every hospital is performing and those hospitals that have still to tackle the problem will continue to face fines of £250 for every breach.

Hospitals: Children

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the top five causes of childhood hospital admissions were in each primary care trust area in 2005-06;
	(2)  what the top five causes of childhood hospital admissions were in each primary care trust area in 2010-11; and how many admissions there were for each such cause.

Daniel Poulter: Tables with the data requested for 2005-06 and 2010-11 have been placed in the Library.
	Data for 2005-06 and 2010-11 are not directly comparable as the structure of primary care trusts changed in 2006-07.
	It should be noted that the number of episodes does not represent the number of patients as an individual may be admitted to hospital on more than one occasion in any given period for more than one reason.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to widen the scope of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's quality standards.

Norman Lamb: The Department has referred 190 topics to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop NHS Quality Standards. These cover a wide range of diseases and conditions for adults, neonates, children and young people. Additionally, we have referred three topics that relate specifically to the national health service role in health improvement. NHS Quality Standards cover healthcare commissioned by the NHS as well as the interface with social care. From April 2013, NICE'S remit will be extended to include the development of social care Quality Standards. It is currently consulting on two pilot standards for social care.

NHS: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the highest paid position is in the NHS.

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to identify the highest paid position in the national health service from information held centrally.

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Care and Support White Paper, how his Department plans to ensure that the benefits of free social care at the end of life are fully assessed.

Norman Lamb: The Government will use the eight Palliative Care Funding Pilot sites to collect the vital data and information we need to assess the Palliative Care Funding Review proposal that 'once a patient reaches the end of life stage, and is put on the end of life locality register, all health and social care should be funding by the state and be free at the point of delivery'.
	The pilots are running for two years and will finish collecting data in March 2014.

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what models of integrated care his Department plans to test through the assessment of free social care at the end of life.

Norman Lamb: The Department will work with some of its Palliative Care Funding Pilots to understand the barriers to more integrated care at the end of life and how we can overcome these to determine what potential new models might contribute to better care at the end of life.

Psychiatry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure the protection of patients receiving recovered memory therapy from psychotherapists in the last 15 years;
	(2)  what consultation he has had with those who have experienced difficulties in making third party complaints in psychotherapy.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not recommend the use of recovered memory therapy and it is not a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended treatment.
	Ministers have had no consultations with those who have experienced difficulties in making third party complaints in psychotherapy.

Psychiatry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to check the viability and effectiveness of the Complaints Procedures and Codes of Ethics and Practice of psychotherapy organisations that are to come within the jurisdiction of the Health Standards Authority.

Daniel Poulter: The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE), to be renamed the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA), is an arm's length body to the Department. The CHRE has been given powers, through the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to accredit voluntary registers of certain health and social care workers who meet, set standards. The intention is that these powers will commence from 1 December 2012.
	The CHRE has recently undertaken a public consultation on its proposed standards for accreditation. The draft standards include the requirement for voluntary registers to have arrangements in place for handling complaints and promoting ethical practice. The final standards for accreditation will be published by the CHRE by November 2012.
	We are aware that the CHRE is preparing for the commencement of its accreditation powers by working with some existing voluntary registers, including the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The findings from this work will help to inform further the development of the PSA's accreditation process.

Sports

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department work on policies relating to the role of sport in promoting good health or any other areas of policy relating to sport; and how much of his Department's budget was allocated to supporting this activity in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: At present, six officials in the Department work on the promotion of physical activity (including sport) for health purposes. In 2011-12, the Department allocated £12.35 million for physical activity, of which £11.8 million was used to fund sport in schools.

Strokes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the incidence of depression following a stroke.

Anna Soubry: The Department has not commissioned research specifically on the incidence of depression following a stroke. The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including post-stroke depression. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	Post-stroke depression is common and associated with poor long-term outcomes. The NIHR is currently funding a three-year trial of a depression recognition and treatment package for families living with stroke.

Strokes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that stroke survivors should receive regular mental health assessments.

Anna Soubry: Both the National Stroke Strategy and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Stroke Quality Standard underline the importance of providing psychological support for stroke survivors and their family and carers. While impressive improvements have been made in the acute care of stroke, we recognise there is still more to do in improving timely access to psychological support.
	Timely access to psychological support is one of the key areas for improvement in the Accelerating Stroke Improvement Programme, which will continue until the end of March 2013.
	This issue has also been raised at consultation events held as part of developing the cardiovascular disease outcomes strategy and so we will be considering what more can be done on this issue.

Tobacco: Packaging

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which company or organisation was awarded the contract for providing tobacco packaging consultation analysis; what the terms of the contract are; what the start and termination dates of the contract are; and what the monetary value of the contract is;
	(2)  how many companies applied for the contract providing tobacco packaging consultation analysis to his Department;
	(3)  how the tender specification and timescale for delivery for the tobacco packaging consultation analysis was determined by his Department.

Daniel Poulter: The invitation to tender (ITT) for the provision of tobacco packaging consultation analysis was advertised on the Government's Contracts Finder website on 2 August 2012, inviting tenders from all interested parties by noon on 16 August 2012.
	Copies of the tender documentation are available to view from the following link:
	https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=612444
	One supplier put forward a bid for the tender.
	The contract for this work was awarded to Tonic Consultants Limited on 22 August 2012. Details of the contract, including the contract value and expected length of the contract, are available to view on the Contracts Finder website from the following link:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=646603
	The proposed timescale and specification for the work, as set out within the ITT, was determined in line with the Consultation Code of Practice (2008). This states that all responses to a public consultation exercise should be analysed carefully, using the expertise, experiences and views of respondents to develop a more effective and efficient policy.

Tobacco: Packaging

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidence base was for the statements made in paragraph 78 of the impact assessment (number 3080) accompanying the Standardised Packaging for Tobacco Products consultation.

Anna Soubry: The impact assessment (IA), published alongside the ‘Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products’, is a consultation-stage IA, developed to inform responses to the consultation. It sets out the Government's initial approach to identifying the potential impacts of the policy, if it were to be adopted.
	The Government have an open mind on standardised packaging for tobacco and, through the consultation, want to understand whether there is evidence to demonstrate that the standardised packaging of tobacco products would have an additional public health benefit, over and above existing tobacco control initiatives.
	The IA includes references to appropriate evidence used to inform its development. Questions were included within the IA and consultation document which highlight the specific areas where further evidence is sought, in order to better understand the likely costs and benefits if standardised packaging were introduced.

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which current levels of latent tuberculosis (TB) screening in most at-risk migrant groups in England match the levels recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and what support is being provided to specialist clinicians to increase latent TB screening in regions that have high rates of active TB.

Daniel Poulter: As part of the Home Office's planned roll-out of pre-entry screening for tuberculosis (TB) in migrants from countries where there is a high incidence of TB, the UK Border Agency and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are exploring ways of improving the sharing of information about individuals coming to live in the United Kingdom for more than six months. In doing so, the Government is following recommendations by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in its published guidance which recommends that health care providers use these data in considering whether to screen for latent TB.
	There is no national programme yet to promote/support interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) testing. The HPA has published a position statement and question and answers on IGRA to support testing for latent TB. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress primary care trust clusters have made with clinical commissioning groups on identifying the most appropriate population size for commissioning tuberculosis services and establishing the most effective collaborative commissioning arrangements.

Daniel Poulter: From April 2013, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) led by local national health service doctors and nurses will be responsible for commissioning the majority of NHS services, including tuberculosis (TB) services. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are currently working with newly formed CCGs to support them in identifying the most appropriate population size for commissioning different services.
	In August 2012, the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, which is the body that is responsible for modernising the health service, securing the best possible outcomes for patients, issued a framework for collaborative commissioning between CCGs. The NHS Commissioning Board Authority and the Local Government Association are also taking forward a joint programme of work to support joint working between the NHS, councils and other local organisations through local health and well-being boards. The Government's health care reforms will further strengthen opportunities for joined up NHS TB services that already exist in places such as Ealing, Southall constituency and ensure that a more integrated approach for preventing and treating TB is adopted more widely across England.

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the rates of tuberculosis (TB); what steps he is taking to reduce TB cases; and what discussions his Department has had with health commissioners to prioritise the delivery of appropriate clinical and public health TB services.

Anna Soubry: The national health service and public health system reforms will provide opportunities for more integrated commissioning and provision of tuberculosis (TB) services driven by health and wellbeing boards, in partnership with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), the NHS Commissioning Board Authority (NHS CBA), Public Health England and service providers.
	In August, the NHS CBA issued a framework for collaborative commissioning between CCGs. The National Learning Network for health and wellbeing boards has also been exploring how the NHS and local authorities can work together to improve services and outcomes, including through joint commissioning. Additionally, the NHS CBA and the Local Government Association are taking forward a joint programme of work to support local partners in this.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence also published guidance on 23 March to help the NHS manage TB in hard to reach groups, including by collaborative commissioning.
	The Department is funding TB Alert, the national tuberculosis charity to increase awareness of TB among groups most vulnerable to TB and to develop with the Royal College of General Practitioners a learning resource about early TB detection and treatment completion for primary health care professionals, which should be available by the end of the year.
	Finally, the NHS in London is funding the “Find and Treat” outreach service to identify and treat cases of TB among people who are most at risk such as those who are homeless or have complex social needs.

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Royal College of Nursing case management and cohort review and NICE guidance PH37 on tuberculosis-hard-to-reach groups, whether the NHS has a ratio of one whole time equivalent (WTE) tuberculosis (TB) case manager to 40 notifications annually requiring standard case management and one WTE TB manager to 20 notifications annually requiring enhanced case management.

Anna Soubry: Overall, London meets the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guidelines. A ratio of nurses to tuberculosis (TB) notifications was 34 patients to one nurse although there is variation across services. London Health Programmes are working with TB services and commissioners to address local service variations.
	Staffing ratio figures for outside London are not available.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Civil Service jobs have been (a) created and (b) abolished in Merseyside since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many Civil Service jobs have been (a) created and (b) abolished in Merseyside since May 2010. (120338)
	Data are not collected on the number of Civil Service jobs created or abolished. Data are collected on the number of Civil Servants on an annual basis. The latest available data is for March 2011.
	The data for the number of Civil Servants in Merseyside are:
	
		
			  Headcount 
			 2010 20,480 
			 2011 19,400 
			 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Workplace postcode data are used to derive geographical information. 3. Survey reference date 31 March. Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (2010-11)

Government Departments: Billing

Laura Sandys: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department is making in improving the speed of payments to businesses by Government Departments.

Francis Maude: Good progress is being made.
	There is already a requirement in central Government for Departments to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within five days, and to pass 30 day payment terms down supply chains. Departments are required to monitor prime contractors' performance against the 30 day commitment to pay sub-contractors as part of the contract management process.
	We are also encouraging prime and sub-contractors to use the ‘Mystery Shopper' service to report to Government instances where prompt payment is not happening; and we regularly publish investigated cases on the Cabinet Office website.
	I stressed the importance of this policy to the chief executive officers of some of the most significant suppliers to Government at a meeting held in June. Our Crown representative team is encouraging prime contractors to pay sub-contractors more quickly than the 30 days commitment on a voluntary basis.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress the Government has made on the elimination of pre-qualification questionnaires for central Government procurement below £100,000.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, Government has made good progress at streamlining its procurement process.
	Fifteen out of 17 central Government Departments have confirmed that they have eliminated the use of pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) for procurements below £100,000. Work is under way with the two remaining Departments to implement necessary changes to their pre-qualification processes; these Departments have additional security requirements to consider.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the status is of the lean sourcing process; and how many civil servants are licensed to operate.

Francis Maude: Before the last general election, Government procurement was often unnecessarily complex and that's why this Government introduced in 2010 a Lean review to streamline and accelerate the procurement process.
	The adoption of Lean sourcing across central Government was mandated earlier this year.
	More than 800 procurers have been briefed on Lean sourcing. To date 258 procurers have completed the practitioner training course and a further 280 are scheduled to attend. In addition, 496 procurers have completed an overview training course.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of procurement that was contracted to small businesses was to consultants in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: Since January 2011, as part of this Government's transparency programme central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	Spend with SMEs has dramatically increased since 2010 and last year alone spend with consultancy was down by £870 million. We do not hold information on the proportion of small businesses which are consultants.

Government Departments: Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress he has made in holding Government Departments to account for their commitment to sustainable development through the quarterly business plan review process.

Oliver Letwin: Departmental business plans were updated in May 2012. The refreshed documents set out Departments' contributions to sustainable development, including relevant actions in their structural reform plans (SRPs) and a dedicated section with further commitments in the annex.
	Through the business plan review process I am encouraging Departments to deliver on their commitments to mainstream the principles of sustainable development into their core business, both in their policy making and their operations and procurement. Departments are also now, for the first time, required to report on sustainable development in their annual reports and accounts, providing more openness about actual progress made. It is of course for each Department individually to decide how they will implement their sustainable development commitments; I am using the review meetings to discuss progress and address issues with the implementation of these commitments.
	Progress on Departments' SRP commitments is regularly published on the No. 10 transparency website
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk
	A cross-Government progress report on sustainable development will be published in February 2013.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) England died from advanced prostate cancer in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many men in a) Brigg and Goole constituency and b) England have died from advanced prostate cancer in each of the last five years. (120325)
	Table 1 following shows the number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause for (a) Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency and (b) England for 2007 to 2011 (the latest year available).
	Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires any conditions that contributed directly to a death to be recorded on the death certificate. In cases where a cancer is deemed to have contributed to a death, medical practitioners and coroners are not required to specify whether the cancer was advanced at the time of death.
	Figures on cancer incidence and mortality in the United Kingdom and constituent countries are published annually and are available here:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html? definition=tcm%3A77-21518
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths from prostate cancer in England and Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency; England, 2007-11(1.2.3) 
			 Area 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England 8,661 8,593 8,843 9,085 9,123 
			 Brigg and Goole 21 16 15 8 19 
			 (1) Prostate cancer is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD 10) code C61. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year and exclude deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are based on boundaries as of May 2012.

Public Sector: Civil Proceedings

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if he will estimate the saving to the public purse from preventing public sector organisations from pursuing legal action against other public sector organisations by making greater use of arbitration;
	(2)  how much public money has been used to fund legal action by public sector organisations against other public sector organisations in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office does not currently receive or hold information on the number of legal claims between public sector organisations, or their costs.
	However I have asked officials to investigate whether savings can be found.

Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date he last had a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland; and what matters were discussed.

Francis Maude: As has been the practice of previous Administrations, information relating to internal Government meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.

Voluntary Work: Young People

David Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office following the summer 2012 National Citizen Service programme, what plans he has to encourage locally tailored delivery of future programmes by existing successful delivery organisations.

Nick Hurd: Effective local delivery of National Citizen Service is critical to the long-term success of the programme. We will share best practice from 2012 pilots with future providers, including how to embed programmes in local communities through relevant, social action projects.